Écuelle with cover 1714 - 1718

This covered Écuelle was created by Esaias Busch III in the 18th century. Busch worked as a silversmith, and this piece gives us insight into the culture of dining in the 1700s. The Écuelle is a covered bowl, usually with two handles, and was used for serving broth or soup to someone of high social status. Examining the design and the materials, we can infer that only wealthy people would have owned something like this. Silver was precious, and the detail indicates that it was made to impress. The presence of a lid indicates a desire to keep the contents hot, suggesting a certain level of leisure and comfort. By studying objects like this, along with household inventories and etiquette manuals, historians can learn a great deal about the social norms and material culture of the past. The seemingly simple soup bowl becomes a portal into a world of social hierarchy, culinary practices, and artistic expression.