Tankard 1757 - 1760

Curator: Here we have a Tankard, crafted sometime between 1757 and 1760. It was created by Daniel Christian Fueter and now resides here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is its satisfying solidity. The silvery gleam and stout form promise weight, a coolness to the touch. It's an object built to last, demanding respect, but the little flourish of leaves adds a whimsical charm, too. Curator: Definitely. Fueter was clearly skilled at metalwork. Notice how the body of the tankard is relatively simple, allowing the ornate handle and lid to really shine. It suggests that someone thought very carefully about how this thing should function and how people should feel about its functionality. Editor: I keep thinking about the act of making. Someone took raw metal and transformed it through laborious effort and skillful manipulation, into this pleasing shape. Who was doing that work? Where were they positioned in society? The answers can provide so much insight into the economics and the world in which art is produced. Curator: You're right; it speaks volumes about the material culture of the time. I bet this wasn’t just any old drinking vessel. You can picture it sitting on a well-to-do table, reflecting candlelight, a symbol of status and refined taste. Maybe someone was gifted this when starting a new career... I like imagining scenarios. Editor: Think about what materials are being used. Silver, metal… the implications behind extracting it from the earth, turning it into a consumer object that only the wealthy had access to…it all matters. Curator: Absolutely. And though we call this “decorative art," it’s far from frivolous. There is intent here: intention to create not only an object of function but of meaning and beauty, however entangled it may be in socioeconomic stuff! Editor: Precisely. We admire an aesthetic surface, a physical, tangible product... but it masks very physical realities, involving labor, extraction, and ownership, which are never neutral. Curator: What a heady thing to keep in mind as we contemplate this unassuming tankard... A little doorway into so many potential narratives. Editor: Exactly. Now I can't help but wonder what liquid it might have held!