Perfume funnel 1738 - 1750

Curator: Looking at this, I'm immediately struck by the reflective sheen and how that interacts with the baroque detailing at the base. It's unexpectedly captivating. Editor: And let’s provide some context. What we’re seeing is a perfume funnel, crafted from silver, likely sometime between 1738 and 1750, attributed to Johann Christoph Stenglin. It’s currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: Thinking about the labor that went into this – the silversmithing, the detailed chasing, the precise form created from a raw material... This isn’t just functional; it speaks to the values placed on craft and the artistry embedded in daily life of the time. Editor: Absolutely. Considering the period, luxury items such as this perfume funnel reveal a great deal about the elites who could afford them. What fragrances did they prize? Who made them? Were those craftspeople free or enslaved, paid or unpaid? This one object has the potential to unravel economic and racial hierarchies. Curator: It brings up such an important tension inherent in these beautiful objects—how can we appreciate the level of material skill involved without somehow valorizing oppressive social and labor conditions? It forces us to interrogate those choices as scholars, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed. The artistry is undeniable, but acknowledging its entanglement with the social realities of the time is crucial for an ethical understanding. Looking at the repeating patterns at the base of this funnel, one cannot deny its relationship to decorative art of its day; the design and patterns share parallels in architecture and dress. Curator: These details give insights to social connections too. The shared visual language indicates wider European movements in style and the circulation of fashionable tastes throughout artisan communities and among consumers. Editor: For me, understanding its story unlocks the social, economic, and cultural dynamics it reflects, opening discussions about identity, labor, and access within luxury economies historically, and even now. Curator: A silver scent funnel...such a compact artifact, and such a rich nexus of skill, economy, and culture. Editor: Yes, something as small as this serves as a lens onto larger historical narratives we might overlook at first glance.