Grape Scissors 1815 - 1816

Editor: These Grape Scissors, by William Fearn, look surprisingly elegant for a utilitarian object! How does an everyday tool become a work of art? Curator: The very question is interesting. Note the material – likely silver or Sheffield plate – and the delicate shell motif. This isn't just about cutting grapes; it speaks to the rituals of consumption, class, and labor in late 18th- or early 19th-century society. Editor: So, the value isn't just aesthetic, but also about what it represents materially? Curator: Precisely. Consider the labour involved in crafting such an object, and who had access to grapes, let alone specialized tools for their consumption. Editor: I never thought of it that way. Seeing art through the lens of production gives me a new perspective.