Chalice 16th century

Editor: We're looking at a 16th-century chalice currently residing here at the Met. It's made of silver, and it's quite striking in its simplicity. What particularly interests me is the tooling and obvious handwork. What are your thoughts when you see a piece like this? Curator: The chalice's value, as you suggest, truly resides in its materiality and process. Silver wasn't merely a precious metal; its acquisition and working were embedded within a specific economic and social framework. Who mined the silver, how were they compensated, and what guilds oversaw the creation of this object? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. So, are you suggesting that examining the chalice is about understanding the labour behind it, and the economy that made such an object possible? Curator: Precisely! The hammered texture, the joining of elements – each mark speaks to the skill of the artisan, their place within the workshop, the division of labor. It also reflects broader trends of consumption. Who was commissioning pieces like this? Was this a reflection of increased merchant power? Editor: It's almost as if the chalice becomes less about religious ceremony, and more about reflecting the status and access of the commissioner, the labour involved in the craft. Curator: Ceremony and ritual are undeniably a critical element in this context, and a key function in the division of social labour and wealth that the Catholic church oversaw. One could not exist without the other, and to exclude the religious context is equally erroneous. Now, how might the introduction of mechanical presses affect future design? Editor: Wow, that’s a complete re-framing for me! It goes way beyond the aesthetic to production and economy. I’ll never look at metalwork in the same way again. Curator: Exactly. Material speaks volumes, if we are willing to listen.