Sugar Bowl c. 1937

This drawing presents a green sugar bowl made by Giacinto Capelli. The arched motifs, recurring throughout the bowl’s design, echo those found in Gothic architecture. These arches evoke a sense of height and aspiration, reminiscent of the sacred spaces they often adorned. Consider how similar pointed arches appear in reliquaries. These containers hold sacred relics, embodying a connection between the earthly and divine. The arches direct the viewer's gaze upward, symbolizing spiritual transcendence and beckoning towards the heavens. Similarly, the arches adorning this sugar bowl elevate the mundane act of taking sugar to something of higher value and appreciation, transforming the everyday into something almost ceremonial. Through the simple motif of the arch, we witness the enduring power of symbols, transcending time and context. They recur and evolve across cultures, speaking to our collective psyche and leaving us to ponder the complex interplay between past and present.