Set of six forks 1766 - 1767

These six forks were crafted by Jacques Anthiaume, a Parisian silversmith, sometime before his death in 1784. These forks speak to the rise of a wealthy merchant class in France, and were not just eating utensils but also emblems of status. During this period, dining became an elaborate ritual that reinforced social hierarchies. The forks, with their ornate floral and heraldic designs, were tools for navigating the theater of dining, a performance of wealth and taste. Consider the labor that went into these objects; the hands of the artisans, their identities and stories largely erased, who meticulously shaped and decorated each piece. These forks remind us of the intricate dance between consumption, identity, and the often invisible labor that sustains it. They are quiet witnesses to the complex social ballet of 18th-century France.