Chalice 19th century

Editor: This ornate silver chalice, likely made by Franchi and Son in the 19th century, has an almost overwhelming decorative quality, all swirling patterns and shining surfaces. How should we interpret such an object today? Curator: This piece offers us a chance to interrogate the power structures embedded within religious objects and the display of wealth. Can we appreciate its craftsmanship without glossing over the historical context of its creation? Editor: What kind of historical context are you referring to? Curator: Well, who would have commissioned such a piece? What does the choice of precious metals and elaborate Baroque style say about the relationship between religious institutions and power, especially in the 19th century when industrial capitalism was taking hold? Think about the role that material excess played in maintaining social hierarchies and control. How might those without access to such extravagance have viewed it? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. It's easy to just see the beauty, but not the inequalities inherent in commissioning something like this. Is that why you focus so much on who owned an object? Curator: Precisely. Ownership and display become key indicators of status and influence. Consider how colonial extraction of silver resources fueled such lavish production and the lives impacted by this economy. What does this chalice symbolize then? Editor: It becomes a complex symbol – faith, power, inequality, and global economics, all mixed together. Curator: Exactly. The challenge is to engage with the object in a way that acknowledges this complexity, and allows it to speak to us about both beauty and injustice. What we have here is not just silver, but the stories of many. Editor: I'll definitely view similar objects differently from now on! Thanks for pointing out the hidden meanings.