The given sentence is missing in the paragraph below. Decide where it best fits among the options 1, 2, 3, or 4 indicated in the paragraph.

Sentence: Historically, silver has been, and still is, an important element in the business of 'show' visible in private houses, churches, government and diplomacy.

Paragraph: ____(1) ____. Timothy Schroder put it succinctly in suggesting that electric light and eating in the kitchen eroded this need. As he explained to the author, 'Silver, when illuminated by flickering candlelight, comes alive and almost dances before the eyes, but when lit by electric light, it becomes flat and dead.' ____(2) ____. Domestic and economic changes may have worked against the market, but the London silver trade remained buoyant, thanks to the competition of collectors seeking grand display silver at the top end, and the buyers of 'collectables', like spoons and wine labels and 'novelties', at the bottom. ____(3) ____. Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of certain American museums over the period. Boston, Huntington Art Gallery and Williamsburg, among others, were largely supplied by London dealers. ____(4) ____.

The paragraph discusses the social role and market for silver. It first explains why silver was important, then why that importance faded, and finally what kept the silver trade going. The sentence in question gives historical context by showing why silver mattered: it was a visible symbol in private, religious, and diplomatic settings. This idea helps connect the decline in domestic use to the reasons the trade survived.

Looking at the paragraph structure, after talking about electric lighting and changes in home life, the text says: “Domestic and economic changes may have worked against the market, but the London silver trade remained buoyant…” Right before this point, we need a reminder of what silver’s traditional role had been, as this makes the decline more meaningful and highlights why the trade’s survival is surprising.

Putting the sentence in position (3) achieves this goal. It looks back at silver’s long-standing role in display, which helps make the later discussion about collectors, museums, and institutional buyers clear and relevant. The sentence does not work as well at (1), since the decline has not been introduced yet. It also does not fit at (2), because that spot comes after a quote about the visual issue. By (4), the paragraph has already moved on to American museum acquisitions. So, the sentence fits best at position 3 (option 3).