Porringer 1700 - 1715

This is a silver porringer, about five inches wide, crafted by Johann Christoph Hünning I, a German goldsmith active in the 17th and 18th centuries. In Hünning’s time, artisans and craftspeople were integral to the burgeoning merchant class, providing luxury goods that reflected and reinforced social status. Silver items like this weren't just functional; they were symbols of wealth and taste, paraded during social rituals that displayed power. A seemingly simple object like this speaks volumes about identity, class, and the performance of status. Reflect on the hands that once held this porringer, the meals it served, and the stories it could tell about a world vastly different from our own, yet still grappling with issues of identity and belonging.