One of a Set of Five Table Spoons 1698 - 1699

Editor: Here we have "One of a Set of Five Table Spoons" by Benjamin Watts. It's a striking piece of silverware, about 20 centimeters long, residing at the Harvard Art Museums. What's your take on how an object like this fits into the larger narrative of the 18th century? Curator: Objects like this spoon reflect the rise of consumer culture and social stratification in the 18th century. Silverware signaled wealth and gentility, but who had access to it? Consider the labor and colonial exploitation that underpinned its production. How does seeing a mundane object like a spoon in a museum challenge or reinforce our understanding of power dynamics in that era? Editor: That's powerful. It reframes something as simple as a spoon into a symbol of inequality and historical exploitation. Curator: Exactly. Art history isn't just about aesthetics; it's about interrogating the stories objects tell about our shared past and present.