Tea chest 1785

Curator: Look at this lovely Rococo tea chest, believed to be from 1785. The maker is Pieter Adolf Bruné, a delightful name, don’t you think? It's fashioned from silver and wood, a curious combination really. Editor: It does have a precious sort of feel, doesn't it? Almost intimidatingly pristine. You can sense the kind of status tea had at the time just by looking at it! I imagine it locked away somewhere, under strict surveillance. Curator: Well, tea was a status symbol. I bet this wasn’t casually placed on any old table. It presents us with some interesting visual relationships: the piercing silver fretwork exterior that contains the subdued plushness of the interior. It is also composed of contrasting colors and the three silver containers nested inside the azure. Editor: Absolutely, it’s almost as though the artisan set up a dichotomy. We have the intricate openwork lattice giving a certain lightness. Almost lace-like! A stark contrast to the solid, slightly severe, cuboid silver tea caddies nestled inside. There's such controlled exuberance to the Rococo style and the craftsman does make us of geometry: there is an ever-repeating rhomboid, punctuated with rosettes that soften up all those lines! Curator: A bit like the controlled explosion of a good, strong cuppa, maybe? What fascinates me is what's *not* seen. What brand of tea went in here? Who was sharing it? Editor: Such questions. More abstract thoughts really, like what did tea-time etiquette really entail in the era in question. So many social norms built up around it. Was it a sign of wealth or relaxation? Curator: Wealth *and* connection. Sharing a brew was *the* social lubricant! A chance to bond. It’s about something beyond silver and refined design, it holds stories of laughter, quiet talks, secrets perhaps. Editor: Indeed. It leaves me wondering what sorts of secrets were held in the hearts of those sipping that tea... perhaps mysteries locked away, like this Rococo tea chest holds the aroma of a time long past.