Model of a Stopper c. 1835 - 1840

W.F. Momma made this model of a stopper out of wood, though the date is unknown. It prompts us to consider the roles of industry and technology within society. The image creates meaning through its stark contrast between the precision of engineering and the handmade quality of the wooden model. In its time, perhaps Europe, this object would have spoken to both the rising power of machines and the persistence of craft traditions. Did the artist comment on the social structures of his own time? Was he self-consciously conservative or progressive? To truly understand this, one would need to delve into the socio-economic conditions that shaped the creation of technical models in the 18th and 19th centuries. The meaning of art is contingent on this social and institutional context.