Objects of Welcome

The formal dinner service of a well-appointed household, arranged on the buffet where it was kept ready for guests. At the centre is an octagonal fruit or sweets basket of glass set in a brass frame, its panels embossed with clusters of fruit and a tall arched handle rising above it. To either side, sets of stemmed silver-plated liqueur glasses stand on serving trays, and behind them a cut-crystal covered bowl catches the light. Everything rests on hand-embroidered white linen, cutwork and drawn-thread work made at home, part of the bride's trousseau and brought out only on formal occasions.

Objects such as these were rarely used. They were kept in the front room, displayed rather than handled, and appeared for name-days, engagements, weddings and the visits that mattered. Offering a guest a spoon sweet from the basket and a small glass of liqueur was the fixed opening of hospitality, a gesture that told the visitor, before any word was spoken, that they were welcome.