Caster with cover 1727 - 1728

Editor: Here we have Isaac Ribouleau's "Caster with cover," a shiny silver object of unknown date. The pierced cover gives it a somewhat menacing feel, like a fancy medieval mace. How do you read this piece? Curator: It speaks to the quiet violence of luxury, doesn't it? Silverware like this wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about power, about displaying wealth accumulated through exploitation. What labour went into extracting and crafting this object? Editor: So, beyond its beauty, you see a history of inequality embedded in its very form? Curator: Precisely. Every gleam of silver reflects a complex network of social and economic disparities. It makes you question the narratives we attach to such objects. Editor: I never thought about it like that, but it adds so much more depth. Curator: It invites us to be critical of the stories we tell ourselves about art, doesn't it?