Presenteerblad van tin 1725 - 1775

This tin presentation tray was made by Joseph Vos in an unknown time and place. The tray's floral ornamentation and the sheen of the metal are visual cues that signal luxury and refinement, likely intended for the consumption of a well-to-do clientele. In many European societies, the presentation of food and drink was carefully orchestrated to communicate status and taste. The very act of serving, the rituals and implements that come with it, speak to the social hierarchies of a particular era. The absence of a specific date or location complicates our understanding. Researching the Vos family and the history of tin-smithing might reveal the workshops where such items were crafted and sold. Old inventories of aristocratic households, or etiquette manuals, could shed light on the social contexts in which such trays were used. Art becomes meaningful when it is seen as embedded in these contexts.