Covered Dish 1870 - 1890

Editor: So, here we have "Covered Dish" by Challinor, Taylor and Company, dating from 1870 to 1890. It's a glass sculpture currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m immediately drawn to its texture and the clever way the artist simulated the form of a hen on its nest. What are your initial thoughts about this work? Curator: You know, seeing this brings me back to my grandmother's house—these whimsical objects were so popular back then! This piece is really playing with our perceptions. It's a functional object disguised as a sculpture, or vice-versa perhaps? And notice the way the glass mimics the natural patterns of the hen's feathers and the woven texture of the nest. What does the piece evoke for you beyond the visual, let's say emotionally or psychologically? Editor: I suppose, given the title and what it holds, that it gives off maternal or even protective vibes. It is striking the different materials it mimics in only glass, though! It's sort of fooling me with its curves, lines and colors, right? Curator: Absolutely, fooling us with the ordinary. That duality you pick up on, the protective hen safeguarding its eggs, the functional nature hidden within its whimsical form... it speaks to the values of the time, doesn't it? An interesting dance between utility and art. You can just imagine it holding colorful candies and being admired from afar. I almost want to steal this out of the Met and see it back in a loving home. It does makes you consider its place and journey, I feel. Editor: Right? From utilitarian object to museum piece – its life is definitely being altered with its meaning! I didn't think I would spend so much time reflecting on a glass chicken today! Curator: And isn't that the joy of art? Taking something ordinary and finding the extraordinary within! I am already eyeing my trip home to find some overlooked sculptures like this in my parent's house.