Rosewater Ewer and Basin 1603 - 1609

This Rosewater Ewer and Basin was made out of silver around the turn of the 17th century, by the German artist Franz Dotte. Such sets would have been ceremonial objects used for handwashing, an everyday act imbued with social meaning. Silver, of course, was costly, so this ewer and basin speaks to the wealth and status of its owner. But it also testifies to a courtly culture that used symbolic objects like this to perform and reinforce social hierarchies. The intricate floral and figural ornament would have provided a constant visual reminder of the owner's elevated status. We can investigate the meaning of this artwork by considering its historical and social context. Research into courtly rituals, dining practices, and the symbolic language of elite culture at the time, helps to unlock a deeper understanding of objects like this. The meaning of art is never fixed. Rather, it is contingent on social and institutional conditions, and the work of the historian is to bring those conditions to light.