Watch 1690 - 1755

Editor: This decorative, silver watch, crafted by George Graham between 1690 and 1755, features a baroque-style relief. The imagery is intricate, almost overwhelming. What allegorical meaning might we unpack here? Curator: Precisely. Consider the pocket watch itself, not merely as a time-telling device, but a memento mori. What stories of mortality are illustrated in relief on its surface? Do you observe figures representing life events, war, or philosophical pursuits, juxtaposed against representations of death and the underworld? Editor: I see figures that seem to represent learning, and others engaged in conflict... and yes, is that a skeletal figure near what appears to be a judge? It does feel like a morality play. Curator: It's compelling how time, symbolized by the watch, contains the drama of human existence. Time, inexorable time, containing scenes of human triumph and inescapable demise. Do you see the recurring patterns in the ornamentation? Editor: Yes, almost like waves or flourishes. The style really amplifies that sense of unending motion and embellishment of themes. So, the engravings amplify not only time passing, but the cycle of history repeating itself? Curator: Indeed. Even the baroque style contributes: its theatricality serves to underscore our human performance. And reflect upon the act of carrying such an object; what anxieties were whispered into pockets? What reassurances offered from silver’s cool touch? Editor: I hadn't considered that intimate connection. It makes you wonder what the owner thought about while holding it. Thanks for opening up these layers. Curator: And thank you, for reminding us to look beyond the surface of beauty and consider the quiet conversations an object like this once held.