Suikerpot c. 1830 - 1850

This is a design drawing for a silver sugar bowl, made by the French firm Feuchère. We see a highly ornamental object, carefully drafted, featuring classical figures and motifs. The drawing offers us insight into the culture of design and production in 19th-century France. The drawing would have been made in a workshop, where designers would have been trained in the traditions of academic art and design, the design would then have been translated into a physical object by skilled artisans. It is part of a visual language of luxury, designed for an elite clientele and the sugar itself was once a rare and expensive commodity, and owning such a vessel would have signified wealth and status. Historians can use sources such as design manuals, trade catalogues, and archival records to reconstruct the social and economic context in which such objects were made and used. The drawing thus offers a glimpse into the world of 19th-century French design, and the complex relationship between art, commerce, and society.