18th Century Silver

In 1998 the University of Toronto received, by anonymous gift, a small, but exquisite collection of eighteenth century English silver. This is the first time it has been displayed in the Art Centre, in a small exhibition curated by four Student Interns: Philip Boven, Solmaz Emam, Nadia McKinney and Amber Newton, all from the University’s Department of Fine Art. It is fascinating to discover all that these objects can teach us, be it about the nature of silver, hallmarking, decorative techniques, eighteenth century England, the expansion of the British Empire, the importation of tea and chocolate, the rise of the middle class, social rituals, and the evolution of style, to name but a few topics.