Two-handled cup with cover 1696 - 1698

Curator: The reflective surface and round design of this object convey opulence. Editor: It does shimmer! There's something about this "Two-handled cup with cover" made by Thomas Bolton between 1696 and 1698 that feels immediately symbolic of elite power. The crisp silver and elaborate details radiate wealth, don't you think? Curator: Precisely. The Baroque style—all that elaborate detail—signals not just wealth, but a very particular understanding of social status communicated through visual language. The metalwork screams class. Editor: Agreed. And thinking about the social context of this piece, what kind of symbolism do you find most resonant? For me, the coat-of-arms points to legacy, to inherited privilege made material. Curator: I'm glad you brought that up. The coat of arms becomes more interesting in terms of identity. Bolton, working within the established Baroque aesthetic, creates an object that isn’t just decorative, but becomes deeply personal, and reflects a collective aspiration towards permanence. Editor: So it’s about lasting prestige as a political act, solidifying societal positions by marking belonging? Curator: Definitely, because while it’s functional, serving as a cup, it’s equally about conveying something about lineage, family history and what they valued, using visual signifiers within this contained form. Editor: It's almost aggressive in its quiet assertion of belonging. That type of exclusivity encoded into everyday objects becomes more fraught when viewed through today’s lens. The way it communicates status has shifted now, where wealth is ostentatious. Curator: Perhaps this isn’t so different from today’s markers. But instead of family crests, it’s exclusive brand symbols and luxury cars performing that role of social hieroglyph. It’s the continuing human need to be identified within a societal frame, isn't it? Editor: True. It just highlights the ways our visual cues for marking status are continuously in flux—evolving as new identities emerge. Even the act of drinking becomes another chance to reaffirm or challenge those ideas, right? Curator: Looking at that rounded form and polished gleam reminds us to re-interpret and examine objects in relation to cultural memory. Editor: I see your point about the power of emblems like these to express societal norms and their evolution; each gleaming curve reveals how we interpret those cues.