Cake basket 1765 - 1766

This cake basket was made of silver by William Plummer, a London silversmith, around the late 18th century. At the time, skilled artisans like Plummer catered to the tastes of a wealthy elite, whose tables were laden with luxury goods that reflected their status and access to global trade networks. Consider the complex social dynamics embedded in such an object. The very concept of a "cake basket" speaks to a culture of leisure and conspicuous consumption, far removed from the daily lives of the working classes. Who had the time and resources for cakes? Who was excluded from these rituals? The basket’s intricate, hand-worked design also hints at the labor that went into its creation. While Plummer may have enjoyed a certain degree of social standing as a master craftsman, his work also depended on a system of apprenticeships and journeymen. The basket becomes a reminder of the intricate web of social relations that underpinned the production and consumption of luxury goods. The shine of the silver carries echoes of those untold stories, of labor, and of class.