Pair of Shell Dishes 1719 - 1720

Curator: Here we have Robert Hill's "Pair of Shell Dishes" residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: They strike me as quite austere, almost cold, despite the organic form. Is that purely the effect of the silver? Curator: The medium certainly contributes. Silver, with its reflective properties, has historically been a signifier of wealth and status. These dishes, though functional, served as markers of social standing within a complex network of trade and consumption. Editor: But the form itself, the scallop shell. The radiating lines create a pattern, drawing the eye to the lip of each shell... Curator: Precisely, it's a clever manipulation. The rippling effect is both decorative and structural, a study of line and form. Editor: I suppose it reflects the formal elegance that would have been valued. Food became theater! Curator: Indeed, from design to function, these shells tell a story of artistic intention intersecting with societal norms. Editor: Quite. I appreciate the sharp radial symmetry; it lends the pieces a certain gravity. Curator: An interesting contrast to their playful shape.