Zilveren lampetkan op de Tentoonstelling van oudheden in Delft before 1863

Here is a photograph by A.L. Oversluijs, documenting a silver lampetkan, or ewer, at the Exhibition of Antiquities in Delft. The can is extensively decorated, which tells us a great deal about its original context. Silver, of course, has an inherent value; but it is also extremely malleable, allowing for the kind of intricate chasing and engraving that we see here. These processes demand countless hours of highly skilled labor. The contrast between the plainness of the photographic image and the opulence of the object speaks volumes. One is a reproducible image, available to all. The other, a unique and precious vessel, was likely made for a very wealthy household. Consider the amount of work involved in creating the original ewer, and the social relations that it implies. This tension between handcraft and mechanical reproduction is at the heart of the modern world.