Kruidenwijnlepel met getordeerde steel 1803

This is a silver and ebony herbal wine spoon, crafted by Jan Frederik Everts, who lived through the revolutionary transformations of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Utilitarian objects like this spoon offer a glimpse into the rituals of the past. The spoon whispers stories of social class, of leisurely consumption. These wines, infused with herbs and spices, were the preserve of the wealthy, who had both the means and the time for elaborate dining customs. The spoon’s twisted ebony handle is particularly interesting: the dark ebony contrasts strikingly with the gleaming silver, each material speaks to global trade networks, to colonial power. Consider the labor required to source these materials. A piece like this prompts us to reflect on whose hands shaped it, and whose bodies bore the cost of its creation. It invites us to consider the complicated relationship between luxury, labor, and power.