Meat Dish 1811 - 1812

Curator: This is a silver meat dish, attributed to Thomas Robins, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels surprisingly vulnerable for a serving platter, almost melancholic with those scratches marring its surface. Curator: The scratches tell a story of use, of class, of power, no? Consider the heraldic crest: what narratives of gender, race, and economics are embedded in that symbol of ownership? Editor: Absolutely, heraldry speaks volumes. But even beyond that, the repetitive, almost hypnotic twist of the border evokes ideas of ritual and service. It conjures images of generations defined by social role. Curator: Precisely. Its materiality, its existence, is defined by and contributes to the very structure of power. Editor: I see it as a ghost of feasts past; weighty not only in silver, but also with the unspoken rules and social dynamics it represents. Curator: It is a compelling object when considered through the lens of intersectional histories. Editor: Indeed. It encourages us to question what we consume, both literally and figuratively.