Mand van zilver met scharnierend hengsel 1806

This silver basket with a hinged handle was crafted by Rudolphus Sondagh, who lived from 1726 to 1812. Sondagh’s work invites us to reflect on the intricate dance between luxury and labor in the 18th century. Consider that the pursuit of such refined objects was deeply entangled with the socio-economic structures of the time, including colonialism and trade. This basket would have been a table piece in a wealthy home, a reflection of the owner's status. Silver, in its gleam, often obscures the hands that mined it, the trade routes that carried it, and the social hierarchies that it reinforced. The delicate craftsmanship speaks to the artist's skill, but also to the era's values. A complicated mixture of beauty, privilege, and a world of unequal exchange.