Salver 1735 - 1745

This salver was made by Simeon Soumaine, a silversmith active in New York in the early 18th century. At the time, New York was a growing port city, a hub for trade, and a place where fortunes could be made. Silversmiths like Soumaine catered to the elite, those merchants and landowners who wanted to show off their wealth. This salver, with its elegant curves and shimmering surface, speaks to a desire for refinement and status. It reflects the social aspirations of a particular class in a particular time. Silver objects like this were not just decorative, they were statements about who you were and where you belonged in the social order. To understand this piece better, we can look at merchant records, probate inventories, and other historical documents that reveal the material culture of early New York. These kinds of resources help us understand the world in which this salver was made, bought, and used.