A throughline in almost all of my work is the idea that objects—especially old ones—serve as tangible links between past and present, giving us a visceral connection to lives lived long before our own.

It’s a truism that 18th century commerce was male dominated, yet hundreds of women were registered as silversmiths in 17th and 18th century England. Like most, Hester Bateman was a widow who inherited her husband’s business. Like some, she was also an entrepreneur in her own right.

This pair of porcelain chestnut baskets is more than just a relic of fine craftsmanship—they are artifacts of one of the most brazen charlatans of the British Empire. Or, to put it another way, a model success story of colonial corruption.

This historically significant portrait captures a remarkable moment in 19th-century First Nations diplomacy and intercultural exchange, vividly embodied in the figure of Edward Seguin. Painted by James Hamilton Shegogue in 1840, the work prominently features traditional dress of the Huron-Wendat Nation, emphasizing Indigenous diplomatic traditions and their engagement with transatlantic cultural figures. As a work...