I hear ya. There’s a line somewhere when people become shitty rich. I’m just not sure that line is at … has a nice dining room table with carved feet or some shit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Let me clarify this part of my thinking: That line has moved a lot since the lifetime of Thomas Chippendale.
When you think about what it would take to build an ornately carved mahogany highboy with a high gloss varnish in 1750 versus today, including logging, transporting exotic wood around the planet, the actual woodworking…hell, just compare applying a shellac french polish versus spray lacquer today.
It’s just not ubiquitous. And to say that paying a woodworker to carve intricate details is a useless waste of their time strikes as insulting to the craftsman in any time period.
I mean, even under the most cynical representation, the patrons of the classical period were a bunch of wankers too. But I wouldn’t besmirch the musicians, or the music, or what came of it in modern times.
Are you yourself a craftsman?
I craft many things, however I only display my wealth with ostentatious hats I obtain from a madman.
Yeah, see: when you’re looking at these highly ornate antiques, it’s not the wealth of the craftsman on display; it’s the wealth of his customer.
Well tickle me with a feather. Not every nice thing is a cynical display.
When it comes to rich people, pretty much yes it is.
I hear ya. There’s a line somewhere when people become shitty rich. I’m just not sure that line is at … has a nice dining room table with carved feet or some shit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Let me clarify this part of my thinking: That line has moved a lot since the lifetime of Thomas Chippendale.
When you think about what it would take to build an ornately carved mahogany highboy with a high gloss varnish in 1750 versus today, including logging, transporting exotic wood around the planet, the actual woodworking…hell, just compare applying a shellac french polish versus spray lacquer today.
It’s just not ubiquitous. And to say that paying a woodworker to carve intricate details is a useless waste of their time strikes as insulting to the craftsman in any time period.
I mean, even under the most cynical representation, the patrons of the classical period were a bunch of wankers too. But I wouldn’t besmirch the musicians, or the music, or what came of it in modern times.