Presenteerblad met blaasknorren aan de rand c. 1690 - 1739

Curator: So, this is the "Presenteerblad met blaasknorren aan de rand" which translates roughly to "Presentation Plate with bladders at the edge" crafted from silver, sometime between 1690 and 1739, by Nicolaes Sylvester Bertrans. Editor: It looks so austere. What I mean to say is that the plate's surface and repetitive edge detailing evoke a sense of... well, simplicity. What am I missing? Curator: "Simplicity" is an interesting observation given the historical context of this object. But, I believe its materiality speaks volumes about the time it was created. We must consider the labour invested in producing something like this in silver and the process by which raw materials are mined and transformed. What do you think such labour might indicate about that society? Editor: So it's not necessarily "simple", but more indicative of the availability of certain materials? The value comes from its labor as an artisanal product, not necessarily about the appearance or status display? Curator: Exactly! By examining the techniques, like hammering or casting involved in shaping this silver plate and consider who controlled those skills and access to materials, it lets us unpack the layers of class and economic power embedded in its production. Was it a single craftsman, a workshop, or a manufactory producing these? Editor: Oh, so instead of seeing a simple silver plate, it encourages us to look at the broader manufacturing that the Baroque-era Netherlands had at the time? The supply chains? Curator: Yes, how readily this piece circulated impacts who used these, in what context, and also allows for a broader scope of art making, outside paintings hung in a Salon! Editor: I guess I was too quick to judge based on aesthetics. Now I see how analyzing materials like silver and the processes involved reveals so much more about social structures. I wouldn't have considered this perspective. Curator: Indeed. This piece serves as an opportunity to challenge notions of “high art”. We can see beyond the formal conventions and reveal social narratives through the lens of labor and materiality. It goes far beyond aesthetics!