30.05.2018, 09:30 A.M.
Silver in Georgian Ireland symposium, National Museum of Ireland, Wednesday 30th May 2018
The Irish Georgian Society, Maynooth University and the National Museum of Ireland are partnering to deliver a symposium on Wednesday 30th May 2018 focusing on silver in Georgian Ireland.
The symposium will showcase new research by established and emerging scholars, and examine the circumstances in which silver objects were made, used, valued and displayed in Georgian Ireland.
The symposium will to appeal to both a general and specialist audience of academics, collectors and members of the public. It seeks to offer a variety of engaging perspectives on one of Dublin’s foremost artisanal trades during a period when new commodities, novel technologies and fashionable imports were transforming the market for luxury goods. The programme of talks will be complemented by a tour of the National Museum of Ireland’s silver galleries, an unrivalled display of Irish silver from the period, which will allow both experienced and novice silver scholars the opportunity to consider the artefact evidence at first hand.
2018 marks the 21st anniversary of the opening of the silver galleries at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. It thus represents a timely moment to reflect on one of the highlights of the decorative arts collection, which has not been explored before in the context of such a focused study day. The inclusion of speakers from the United Kingdom and Europe allows for a nuanced view of silver in Georgian Ireland, considering how the movement of people, patterns, and plate in the early-modern world affected what was crafted and coveted in Irish towns and cities.
Speakers include: Dr Toby Barnard; John R Bowen; Damian Collins; Dr Jessica Cunningham; Dr Alison FitzGerald; Professor Bert De Munck; Dr Tessa Murdoch; Dr Zara Power and Dr Thomas Sinsteden.
Acknowledgement: Silver in Georgian Ireland has been made possible through sponsorship from an anonymous donor, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and Weldons of Dublin.