Figure Dish 1880 - 1890

Curator: So, first impression, what does this strike in you? Editor: Like a sugar-spun dream! Ethereal, fragile almost. It reminds me of those vintage cake toppers, all romance and quiet afternoons. Curator: It certainly has a delicate beauty. We're looking at a piece titled "Figure Dish," believed to have been created sometime between 1880 and 1890 by McKee and Brothers. It is currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: And it's glass, isn't it? Milky, opalescent... What were they serving in this dreamy bowl? Curator: Likely sweets or decorative elements, given the novel presentation. We can place this type of figuration within broader artistic trends toward sentimentality and domestication during that late Victorian period. Consider, too, how class and consumer culture dictated these choices. Editor: Sentimentality yes. But I can imagine this piece sitting perfectly fine on a modern table too... Like a playful counterpoint to some serious contemporary designs, challenging ideas around "taste" itself. Like, who gets to decide something is saccharine, right? Curator: Precisely. Understanding those power dynamics that establish hierarchies of value becomes essential. The glass, the sculptural animal figure...It can all be seen as conveying certain markers of status and taste during its historical moment, and how those have shifted over time. How different aesthetics are received across socioeconomic spectra. Editor: Totally! Art evolves in dialogue with society, and something as seemingly frivolous as this can hold multiple readings. Curator: Definitely. Considering both the intention and the shifting interpretive frameworks is the goal. Hopefully, we have given everyone some thought points to think about concerning both of those as they continue with their journey today! Editor: Like maybe glassblowing meets a revolution... Let us embrace contradiction!