Two-handled loving cup with cover 1760 - 1761

This silver loving cup was crafted by Samuel Courtland, a silversmith active in New York in the late 18th century. Silver objects like this one would have been made through a combination of techniques: raising the form by hammering the metal over stakes, casting handles and decorative elements, and chasing details on the surface. The result is a dazzling display of wealth and refinement. But who enjoyed that wealth? Silver objects were luxury goods. The immense labor required to make them was made possible by class divisions, and by international trade networks enriched by enslaved labor. Seen in this light, this loving cup is not just a beautiful object. It's a symbol of its historical moment, when aesthetic delight and social inequity were deeply intertwined. We might admire Courtland's skill, even as we contemplate the larger picture of production in which he worked.