Alto Recorder 1680 - 1720

Curator: It feels melancholy, almost like a forgotten dream rendered in polished ebony. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is an alto recorder, crafted sometime between 1680 and 1720. Look closely at how wood, typically boxwood or a dense hardwood like ebony, is painstakingly transformed through turning and boring. This object speaks volumes about the craftsperson’s skill. Curator: You're right, it’s astonishing—you can almost feel the hours of precise labor. I wonder about the musician who first held it. Did they play sonatas under candlelight? Did the wood grow richer with each melody? Editor: Consider the social status embedded within the recorder. Instruments of this quality weren't mass produced. It hints at a certain level of affluence; the commissioning of a custom made musical instrument would indicate disposable income. Curator: Perhaps it's why the baroque era has always struck me as being a blend of decadence and exquisite craftsmanship—every note was a declaration of being, every adornment a tiny rebellion against the ephemeral nature of things. Do you think this piece influenced courtly dances and love sonnets? Editor: Most certainly. You also see how these objects start influencing makers globally – for instance, instruments would be shipped and become prized possessions to emulate in production. Think of all the hands this object passed through! And not only players, but restorers. How much labor goes into maintenance, making sure an object meant to make a noise continues to sing. Curator: Precisely! It highlights how artistic labor extends far beyond the initial creation. But tell me, what sound do you imagine it produces? What does the wood, now stilled and silent, long to express? Editor: I think of workshops, apprentice labor and materials themselves, shipped far and wide across the world. What resonances from forests halfway around the world went into this? Curator: So, we're left not just with an object, but a confluence of lives, histories, and dreams—an echo of a moment, still faintly audible in the quiet gallery. Editor: Absolutely. And a reminder of how the material world mediates every aspect of our existence.