Dish 1753 - 1754

Editor: Here we have a Dish crafted from silver by Louis Regnard, sometime around 1753 or '54. Isn't it remarkable how something functional can also be so decorative? What initially strikes you about this piece? Curator: It whispers of courtly elegance, doesn't it? Almost like something you’d find at Neptune's banquet. The material and form—the lustrous silver molded into a delicate shell—tell a story of refined taste, a love for the natural world tamed and elevated. Think about the silversmith painstakingly hammering and chasing this metal—a transformative process, really. Does it spark any associations for you? Editor: I guess it feels like Rococo? All that elaborate ornamentation? Curator: Precisely! Rococo was all about playful asymmetry, curvaceous lines, and organic motifs. Regnard masterfully captures that essence here. Can you imagine the light playing across the silver surface? It’s not just about wealth, it's about capturing the beauty of a fleeting moment. This dish encapsulates a spirit, a joie de vivre that makes my heart sing. Editor: It’s so different from what I usually study. The craft seems almost as important as the design here. Curator: Absolutely. There is artistry to function; what we *do* with it brings a personal touch to design and what could have simply been function, perhaps revealing even more when utility, and function meet the subjective gaze, almost like it's waiting for a touch... Editor: That makes total sense. Thanks for shedding new light on something that initially just seemed...pretty. Curator: My pleasure, perhaps it has a narrative waiting for its main course... the dish, so to speak.