Two Mantelpiece Ornaments 1845 - 1870

Curator: Here we have "Two Mantelpiece Ornaments," attributed to Baccarat Glassworks and created sometime between 1845 and 1870. You can find it on display here at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: My first impression is...contained chaos. There’s something very still and yet explosive about the swirls of color trapped within the glass. Curator: Exactly. Think about the rise of the middle class at this time. The Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851 showcased the rise of decorative arts. These ornaments represent aspirational consumerism and domestic display. The mantelpiece as a site for presenting wealth, taste, and social standing. Editor: I'm drawn to the materials. It's not just about what it represents, but about the physical process. Imagine the glassblower, carefully layering molten glass, trapping those pigmented swirls inside. How controlled, and yet, the outcome retains an element of chance, wouldn’t you agree? Curator: Definitely, but it's also about the cultural narrative it's crafting. Glassblowing itself had an established history by this point, moving from craft to industry. Baccarat aimed to redefine luxury for a new market—a market eager for accessible beauty and ornamentation. Editor: Absolutely. And let’s consider the labor. The artistry certainly, but also the conditions of those glassworkers—often exploited for their skill in the age of industrial progress. Curator: The glass suggests an openness but it simultaneously limits expression and access by literally enclosing it. So, are we talking about democratizing beauty or controlled dispersion of luxury items to designated homes? Editor: That tension between access and control is fascinating, especially when considering the materials used and their specific handling. It also makes us consider just how beautiful it is, technically. Curator: In this moment in decorative art history, you have the expansion of public viewership along with an ever increasing consumer desire for luxury, leading to new meaning making practices and objects. Editor: Agreed. Seeing the craftsmanship intertwined with that historical moment adds even another dimension to our understanding of the piece, don’t you think?