Salver 1729

Jean-Joseph Giraud crafted this silver salver sometime in the 18th century. Serving trays such as this one were commonplace in the houses of the French aristocracy. In the 1700’s France was a nation defined by social hierarchy, the great wealth of the aristocracy was built on the backs of the peasantry, so luxury items like this are not just aesthetic objects, but powerful social symbols. The coat of arms engraved in the centre displays an aristocratic family’s lineage and power. It speaks to how social status was inherited. An object like this encourages us to consider the politics of imagery. Silverware survives, but the lives of those who produced raw materials and toiled in the workshops that manufactured it have been largely erased from history. Museum collections such as this one at the Met are powerful institutions. As historians, we must consider the social conditions in which art is made, its role in cultural life, and the ways in which institutions shape artistic production.