Porringer 1720 - 1735

Curator: Isn't she lovely? A silver porringer made in America sometime between 1720 and 1735. I think it captures a very unique sensibility. A feeling of simple elegance for everyday rituals. Editor: It is remarkably... reserved. I can see utility and a muted sense of affluence, sure. The symmetry and cool metallic sheen, it doesn't evoke "cozy" for me, if that's what you mean by simple. Who was making and using such objects at this point in American history? Curator: Right? Someone with land, perhaps. They wanted some decorative charm—but didn't wish to shout it. It's quite balanced. And don’t overlook that handle; those flourishes have real personality! Almost baroque! Editor: The handle design does attempt to break free, I’ll give you that. I just can’t help considering the labor, perhaps enslaved labor, involved in extracting, processing, and crafting silver items like this in colonial America. What was luxury built upon, and for whom? It prompts sobering thoughts. Curator: And also a wonder, to see it surviving like this, whispering stories of generations of owners…it feels oddly precious. The dents, the little imperfections on its skin, give this piece its aura of…history. You can feel it when you are close. I always expect them to glow, to speak if you listen closely enough. Editor: You see history romantically embodied; I suppose I see its embedded power structures. A porringer might seem innocent enough, but its very existence speaks volumes about wealth disparity. To see its context is essential for a complete picture. Curator: And to touch…to caress that very cool, silky, metallic, surface. Imagine its journey across time. What stories might it tell if it only could? What are its secrets? Editor: Well, one undeniable "secret" this object quietly reflects is how material culture sustains inequalities across generations, which we now are struggling to overcome. Curator: Which makes a beauty like this... that much more of a mystery. Editor: Agreed, though my sense of wonder comes from grappling with that mystery head on!