Pair of piano candlesticks 1779 - 1789

Editor: This is a pair of piano candlesticks, made of silver by N. Smith and Co. sometime between 1779 and 1789. They have a simple elegance about them. What stands out to you about them? Curator: The very *thingness* of these candlesticks demands attention. Silver isn't merely decorative; it's a material extracted, processed, and shaped by labor. What kind of labor do you think went into creating these objects? Consider the silversmith’s workshop. Editor: I imagine a craftsman, definitely, carefully shaping the silver. I’d never really thought about all that physical effort before. Curator: Exactly. And it wasn't just the silversmith. Think about the mining of the silver itself, likely involving exploited labor. And consider what these candlesticks *mean* in terms of consumption. Piano ownership signaled a certain social standing in the late 18th century. Silver candlesticks for the piano? Even more so. How does that change your perception? Editor: It shifts it from seeing them as purely decorative to recognizing them as indicators of wealth and status. So the material itself, the silver, becomes almost like a social document. Curator: Precisely. The artistry becomes entwined with the socioeconomic structures of the time. These candlesticks become less about "beauty" in the abstract and more about production, consumption, and class. Editor: That's fascinating! I will never see such decorative art the same way again! Curator: Me neither, these ordinary objects illuminate so much once you begin considering them materially and socially.