Miniature cake basket 1799 - 1800

This miniature cake basket was made of silver by Nicolas Hearnden in England sometime around the late 18th or early 19th century. The basket reflects a society that was obsessed with etiquette and display, especially within the rituals surrounding tea and dessert. Objects like this basket show us how wealth and status were communicated through the ownership and use of specialized items. Silversmiths like Hearnden catered to the tastes of the elite, creating objects that were not only functional, but also symbols of refinement and social standing. The delicate craftsmanship and precious material speak to the values placed on luxury and exclusivity during this period. To fully understand this object, we can turn to sources like trade records, guild archives, and period etiquette manuals. These resources reveal the complex social codes embedded in objects like this miniature cake basket. This basket reminds us that art is deeply entwined with the social and institutional structures of its time.