Dish 1710 - 1711

This silver dish was made by Edme Paul Leblond, sometime before his death in 1745. Silver is a luxurious material, and working it demands great skill. The flat, reflective surface shows how carefully the silversmith must have hammered and planished the metal. Notice, too, the fluted pattern around the inside of the rim, and the precisely executed gadrooning around the edge. These are subtle details, but they would have taken hours to execute. Consider the social context here: silver was the preserve of the wealthy. Owning this dish meant having the resources to commission it, and the staff to keep it polished and in good order. This object encapsulates the labour and artistry required to create it, revealing a hierarchy of skill, class, and consumption. By appreciating the mastery involved in its creation, we recognize the true value of this elegant piece.