Sauskom van zilver 1764

This is a silver sauce boat, made by Valentijn Caspar Bömcke, a silversmith active in the 18th century. In the 1700s, dining became increasingly ritualized among the elite, reflecting a desire to display wealth, status, and cultural refinement. Bömcke's sauce boat, with its elegant curves and ornate feet, speaks to the era's aristocratic tastes. Silver objects, such as this, reflect not only the wealth of the owner but also the exploitative colonial systems that made such luxury possible. Think about the mines, the labor, and the environmental cost embedded in this object. Consider how food and its presentation have always been entwined with social and political power. While this sauce boat is simply an object, it stands as a symbol of a complex historical moment. Its beauty is inseparable from the realities of its production and consumption.