Oval dish 1768 - 1775

This elegant oval dish was crafted in 18th-century France by Jacques-Claude Pourcelle, using silver. The smooth, reflective surface and the delicately scalloped edge show us silver at its most luxurious. But this wasn't just a display of wealth. The making of such an object involved a highly skilled silversmith, part of a guild system that carefully controlled production and quality. Pourcelle would have hammered, shaped, and polished the silver, using techniques passed down through generations. The weight and feel of the material speak to the immense labor involved. Objects like this are a window into the complex social hierarchies of the time, and today can remind us to appreciate not just the beauty of the finished product, but also the tradition of craftsmanship and the hands that brought it into being.