Butter dish 1853 - 1865

Editor: This is the "Butter dish" made by the Gorham Manufacturing Company, sometime between 1853 and 1865. It’s made of silver and it looks incredibly ornate, almost extravagant for holding butter! What do you make of a piece like this? Curator: Extravagant is definitely one way to put it! Considering its time, what do you think this silver butter dish tells us about Victorian society and its values? About access to food, materials, or artistic craft? Editor: I guess it suggests a certain level of wealth and a focus on displaying that wealth. The intricate floral details on the lid seem purely decorative. Curator: Exactly. It reflects a specific socio-economic bracket, a culture of conspicuous consumption. It also touches upon the gendered nature of domesticity at the time. Who would have been primarily concerned with the presentation of food and the home? How does the artistry reflect those gender roles and expectations? Editor: Ah, so it’s not just about wealth, but also about the woman of the house and her role in maintaining a certain image? The flowers do feel very feminine in that context. I also noticed the little bird on top! Curator: The bird could symbolize different things. Freedom? Nature? Or perhaps something more constrained, like a gilded cage reflecting the woman's role in the home? Consider how objects like these are not just beautiful things, but also loaded with social meaning. Editor: That's fascinating, I never thought about it that way before. It really opens up a whole new perspective on decorative arts. I'll definitely be more conscious of these kinds of social dynamics when looking at art in the future! Curator: And that is exactly what I was hoping for. Art never exists in a vacuum, and recognizing its connections to power, identity, and social structures is how we start to understand its true significance.