> A large part of it rests in the knowledge (of the beneficiary) that another skilled human has dedicated time, effort, and intelligence to uniquely produce what is in front of them.
True, but I think this is subjective guessing rather than "knowledge". After all, if I don't find a piece of art beautiful or even interesting, I don't care how much time and effort and intelligence went into it (at least in so far as an assessment of beauty goes); as an artist, I can only wish that such things were a guarantee of beauty.
Subjective guessing could be converted into knowledge by information sharing. I believe one could be progressively persuaded to (1) sympathize with the artist, then (2) sympathize with the artefact, and maybe (3) come to cherish it. Depending on how the information is revealed, & in the hope that it is meaningful to the customer. Restaurants have long known & used this procedure—they include source of material and cooking method in the name of the food. You may have no affection for the pasta in front of you but maybe sharing the "home made" information with you could elicit a little more excitement.
True, but I think this is subjective guessing rather than "knowledge". After all, if I don't find a piece of art beautiful or even interesting, I don't care how much time and effort and intelligence went into it (at least in so far as an assessment of beauty goes); as an artist, I can only wish that such things were a guarantee of beauty.