Three-Piece Tea Service c. 1820

Editor: Here we have a beautiful three-piece tea service by William Thomson. Look at the detail in the silverwork! It feels very luxurious. What can you tell me about it? Curator: I see the labor involved in its creation. Consider the silversmithing techniques, the social context of luxury consumption, and the raw materials themselves. Where did the silver come from and who mined it? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered that. So much work went into making something that just holds tea. Curator: Exactly. And who was consuming that tea? The materiality and the social use are intertwined. We must consider the complete story of production and consumption. Editor: Thanks, that’s given me a whole new way to appreciate it. Curator: Indeed. It’s a powerful reminder of the global systems involved even in the simplest domestic objects.