Pair of salvers (part of a toilet service) 1683 - 1684

Curator: These glimmering forms before us are a pair of salvers, part of a larger toilet service crafted in London between 1683 and 1684 by William Fowle. Editor: They are objects of beauty, aren't they? They seem to hold a serene elegance despite their weight. You can tell just by the shine of the silver and that subdued engraving they speak of secrets and refinement. Curator: Absolutely! The silversmithing is meticulous. What strikes me, beyond their aesthetic appeal, is how profoundly they reflect the social currents of their time. I'm drawn to the materials, the process…consider the labor invested in transforming raw silver into these refined objects. These weren't merely functional trays; they were potent symbols of wealth, status, and taste within the elaborate rituals of the upper classes. Editor: They do have the power to transport you...imagine a powdered face gazing at its reflection in their polished surfaces, maybe with music playing softly nearby... Curator: Precisely, or consider their positioning within the aristocratic home! Not simply functional, but active agents in constructing social identity through ritualized practices. It shows so much about the society they served, the division of labor that sustained their creation, and the culture of consumption that made them so coveted. And think about how something so obviously opulent still has an almost spartan simplicity in form. Editor: Yes, but a controlled, intentional simplicity...they speak to a need for both luxury and order, all intertwined. These pieces whispered secrets in their day, they gleam even now... don't you think objects retain a shadow of what they once witnessed? Curator: Indeed, and this pair, these carriers of forgotten luxuries, remind us of art's complex entanglement with power, labor, and desire across time. Editor: Agreed, gazing at them does spark a new way of viewing art, an emotional bridge across time's river, from London of 1683 to now, wouldn't you say?