A Wedgwood anti-slavery medallion, circa 1790

of oval form, ornamented in black with a chained kneeling figure in supplication upon white jasper, the upper edge of the medallion inscribed in low relief 'AM I NOT A MAN AND A BROTHER?', unmarked,

Almost certainly Sir William Forbes, 6th Bt. (1739-1806)

In generally good appearance. There is a minute flat shallow chip to the outer edge of the top moulded band, located at 6 o'clock, measuring approximately 0.3cm. at widest point.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The medallion was first modelled by William Hackwood in 1787, taken from the design of the seal of the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, founded in the same year. Wedgwood himself was a member of the committee, and the medallions were distributed through the organisation at his personal expense. The medallion in material expressed the growing awareness and horror at the barbarity of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Thomas Clarkson, an abolitionist and founding member of the Society, as it was later known, wrote in his History of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, Vol. II, 1807:

“Wedgwood took the seal of the committee, ... for his model; and he produced a beautiful cameo, of a less size, of which the ground was a most delicate white, but the Negro, who was seen imploring compassion in the middle of it, was in his own native colour. Mr. Wedgwood made a liberal donation of these, when finished, among his friends. I received from him no less than five hundred of them myself. They, to whom they were sent, did not lay them up in their cabinets, but gave them away likewise. They were soon, like The Negro’s Complaint, in different parts of the kingdom. Some had them inlaid in gold on the lid of their snuff-boxes. Of the ladies, several wore them in bracelets, and others had them fitted up in an ornamental manner as pins for their hair. At length, the taste for wearing them became general; and thus fashion, which usually confines itself to worthless things, was seen for once in the honourable office of promoting the cause of justice, humanity, and freedom.”