Pair of candlesticks 1700 - 1701

Curator: Ah, look at these beautiful artifacts. We have here a pair of silver candlesticks crafted around 1700-1701, likely by the hand of Joseph Moillet. They reside now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Gosh, they're strikingly severe, almost puritanical in their gleam. I'm getting serious power-dressing vibes from them—crisp, tailored, ruthlessly efficient. Imagine these glinting in a room, casting long, sharp shadows… Curator: I see your point. They do possess a certain architectural formality. The octagonal base, the fluted details... but let's consider the context. This was the dawn of the Enlightenment, a period obsessed with reason and order, reflected perhaps in this clean design. But also consider that owning silver wasn't accessible for many, it represents power. Editor: Exactly! And that's what amplifies that vibe of dominance. Silverware like this wasn't just about illumination; it was a pronouncement, a way of signifying status through meticulously crafted objects. Like little soldiers on the table. Curator: A declaration in candlelight, wouldn't you agree? There's an undeniable aesthetic purpose at work, too, think of all that gleaming candlelight reflecting in the silver on display, quite opulent! These objects aren't solely functional or aggressive. They also embody the art of crafting beauty for its own sake, to be enjoyed. Editor: That tension is precisely what fascinates me. It embodies the paradox of power during that era – a cold, hard grip masked by a veneer of elegance and refinement. One should ask what that gleam illuminates and what remains concealed within its shadows. Curator: An exceptionally well-placed comment! Reflecting further, there is no way to remove objects such as these, however seemingly mundane, from being political signifiers from that era, but at the same time objects meant to instill a sense of beauty and reflection within people who used them. A perfect reflection, so to speak, of the complex dynamic of the society within which it came to be. Editor: Indeed. Gazing at these candlesticks is like peering into a highly polished mirror, reflecting not just light, but a whole era's worth of ambitions, inequalities, and exquisitely crafted façades.