Jar c. 301 - 600

Editor: Here we have an ancient glass jar, dating from around 301 to 600 AD. The piece, of unknown origin, lives here at The Art Institute of Chicago. I find its form very compelling in its simplicity. What can you tell me about its role in its historical moment? Curator: Well, let’s consider what this object *is*, a container. Ancient containers such as this "Jar" from the early Islamic period highlight a tension. As scholars such as Eva Hoffman have pointed out, museums themselves, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries, mirrored the form of a container: carefully designed to present a highly curated worldview. What isn’t contained in that story becomes the question, isn’t it? Editor: Absolutely, a container shapes both what's included, but more importantly, what is *excluded*. So, this glass jar and the museum... how are they similar? Curator: This "Jar" here, like many functional ancient artworks, has spent much of its existence not on display, out of public view, but actively circulating among people. By putting it in the Art Institute, that circulation halts, doesn’t it? It is then passively displayed to a predominantly Western audience, shaping its very meaning and role. Museums give authority and often obscure previous uses, or meanings, of an object like this. Editor: So, framing affects interpretation. Do you see something that the display is intentionally doing? Curator: The iridescence on the glass may be highlighted, even though that probably happened due to age. In ancient times, glass-makers sought clarity, not colorful effects like this. The museum could inadvertently be misrepresenting it in a sense by valuing decay! Editor: That's fascinating, I never considered how a museum setting could almost change an object's inherent meaning, and how we could, in effect, value what isn't actually intentional about its original creation. Curator: Museums, after all, are active participants in an object’s evolving narrative. I'm so glad you're thinking critically about this, too.