Tray (one of a pair) 1738 - 1750

This silver tray was made by Johann Conrad Lotter in Augsburg, Germany, sometime in the mid-18th century. Silver, with its bright reflective surface and resistance to tarnish, was a favored material for luxury objects like this. Consider the labor involved: from mining and refining the silver, to the skilled silversmithing techniques used to form and decorate this tray. The chasing and repoussé work—where the design is hammered from the front and back—required years of training. Note the delicate floral and shell motifs, all meticulously hand-worked. This level of detail speaks to the status of the owner, someone who could afford such exquisite craftsmanship. In its time, an object like this would have been understood as the product of specialized artistic knowledge. But today, we can also appreciate the incredible amount of work involved in its production, and the wider social context of its creation. Recognizing the contributions of those whose labor is embedded within the materials, we challenge traditional distinctions between art and craft.