Design for an Oval Serving Dish with Circular Raised Platform 1765 - 1795

This is a design for an oval serving dish with a raised platform, created anonymously in graphite on paper. At first glance, it's easy to see this as a purely functional object. But let's think about what it represents, and how it speaks to the social and cultural context of its time. Serving dishes, especially ornate ones like this, were often symbols of wealth and status. They were used to display food in a way that was visually appealing and impressive, and were an important part of social rituals and gatherings. The raised platform on this design is particularly interesting. It suggests a desire to elevate certain foods, to draw attention to them, and to create a sense of hierarchy within the meal. What does this tell us about the values and priorities of the society in which it was made? Who was being served on these dishes, and what did it mean to be at the top of the social ladder? By looking at cookbooks, etiquette manuals, and accounts of social gatherings from the period, we can begin to piece together a richer understanding of this design.