Buckles Excavated from Mount Vernon Slave Quarters

These decorated copper alloy buckles were excavated from the cellar of the House for Families slave quarter at Mount Vernon, indicating that the items probably belonged to slaves who lived in that dwelling. The slaves may have acquired these items of personal adornment in a number of ways: through the formal or informal trade economy that existed; as part of a slave's official livery; or through the act of handing down of special provisions from Washington family members to the slaves.