Set of six miniature saucers 1715 - 1735

These six miniature silver saucers were created by David Clayton, a London silversmith who died in 1719. Although tiny, each is beautifully formed through the skilled manipulation of a precious material. Clayton would likely have started with a flat disk of silver, then used a hammer to carefully coax it into this elegant, curving form, annealing the metal with heat as needed to keep it from cracking. Silver is a relatively soft material, which makes it ideal for detailed work like this, but it also requires a high level of skill to avoid deformation. In their time, such refined objects were not just functional; they signified social status and taste. The labor involved in mining, refining, and shaping the silver—not to mention the cost of the material itself—made these saucers luxury goods. It's a reminder that even the smallest objects can reflect broader patterns of consumption, labor, and the social order.