Sauce Boat c. 1745

Curator: At first glance, it is remarkable to see such craft dedicated to something as simple as a sauce boat. The silver material practically glows! Editor: Well, here we have a silver sauce boat, created around 1745 by Jacob Hurd. It exemplifies the Baroque style. And, to your point, I'm thinking about the hours of skilled labor required to bring a piece like this into being, particularly the processes involved in shaping and polishing the silver. Curator: Absolutely! And what is struck, at least for me, is not only that materiality but the purpose. Think of this gleaming vessel presented on a table! Serving sauce elevated the daily action of eating, imbued it with ritual and prestige. Editor: Right, and if you consider the social context, silverware like this signalled wealth and status. It represents consumption at its most visually potent. Also, the choice of silver as a material isn't arbitrary. Its preciousness inherently elevates the perceived value of whatever it contains – in this case, mere sauce. Curator: You can't help but read into those flourishes, those flourishes atop its delicate handle! Such adornments have symbolic heft. Do they suggest a connection to luxury? Do they offer comfort or stability in the daily rituals? Editor: I agree, the Baroque extravagance hints at self-indulgence but consider the functionality required of metalwork for service: being sturdy enough for repetitive tasks and exposure to acidic sauces, temperature changes. This is practical ornamentation. Curator: Practical ornament indeed! When we see this "Sauce Boat," then, are we really considering a society that not only prized the visual aesthetic, but made this precious metal part of the every day? It offers such potent connections across culture, class, and time. Editor: Ultimately, considering the labour involved in producing decorative silverware like this really makes you wonder about who benefited most, both materially and aesthetically, from these objects.