Orange strainer 1713 - 1714

Curator: Ah, the "Orange Strainer," a silver marvel dating back to the early 18th century. You can find it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It's just so…silvery! I'm getting a strong, metallic shimmer just looking at this. It almost vibrates on the eye. There’s something opulent, yet quite functional. Curator: Opulence indeed. Consider the piece's design. Note the symmetrical arrangement of the perforations against the highly reflective surface. Each small hole carefully placed creating a pattern. Then note the elegantly crafted handles that don't simply facilitate usage but, importantly, incorporate embellishments, reflecting the Rococo sensibilities of its time. Editor: Rococo! I see the curlicues. And the light—it plays tricks. All those tiny holes. I wonder, was straining things fancier back then? Did oranges even taste better strained through silver? Did it alter the flavour? I find it hard to believe it was only function driving the creation of it... Curator: Taste might not have altered, but perhaps the experience of dining did. Think of the symbolic weight attached to silver, it elevates the dining process into a display of status, signifying not only taste, but refined discernment, almost fetishizing function. It also provides insight into the rituals of early 18th-century life. Editor: A very materialist refinement, I would say. Though, the holes almost negate that idea—piercing, rupturing the sense of silver being pure. This utilitarian approach contrasts this strainer's opulence. But you are right it would of shown you could be 'excessive' but functional. I would of never thought of this from my kitchen's colander Curator: Precisely! Its effectiveness lies in that paradox—elevating utility. The silver functions as an accentuating contrast. So, in the end, it's more than an eating tool; it's the emblem of a period. Editor: Very sharp of you, indeed! I will forever think differently of silver. Curator: And that’s the true brilliance of design. It offers up insight while still being a part of its age.