Tray (one of a pair) 1738 - 1750

This silver tray was crafted in Germany by Johann Conrad Lotter in the second half of the 18th century. Its delicate Rococo design and precious material speak to the social and economic conditions of its time. The tray's ornate details and the very use of silver signal wealth and status. Rococo, with its emphasis on elegance and intricate ornamentation, was the style of the European aristocracy. Silverware like this tray would have been part of elaborate social rituals, reinforcing distinctions of class and taste. Understanding an object like this requires attention to the social history of luxury goods, the patronage systems that supported artists like Lotter, and the cultural values attached to craftsmanship and display. Museum collections and historical archives provide insight into the lives and social worlds that gave meaning to such artifacts. The history of art reminds us that beauty is always bound up with questions of power, value, and social identity.