Ewer 1698 - 1699

This silver ewer was crafted by a silversmith known only as I.V., though it is unknown precisely when. Objects such as these are emblems of wealth and status, particularly evocative of a colonial past where silver objects signified not only affluence but also a complex web of social hierarchies. The ewer, with its gleaming surface and classical form, likely graced tables set with linens and china, telling tales of commerce and privilege. Note its elegant handle and the delicate engraving of a crest. The craftsmanship speaks of a society where artistry and status were closely linked. Consider the hands that may have poured from this vessel. Were they the hands of someone born into privilege, or those of someone serving at their whim? An object like this is laden with the untold narratives of those who lived alongside it, those who yearned for what it represented, and those who were systematically excluded from such displays of grandeur.