Butter Mold c. 1939

Editor: This watercolor drawing, created around 1939 by Roberta Spicer, depicts a butter mold. I find it intriguing, how a simple, utilitarian object can become the subject of art. What draws your attention when you look at it? Curator: My eye immediately goes to the imagery within the mold itself – the deer standing beneath the tree, seemingly paired with a figure beside them. Think about it - the deer, a symbol of nature, grace, and often associated with the hunt and royalty throughout history, juxtaposed against the domestic sphere of butter making. Editor: That’s fascinating! So you're saying that the images themselves carry a historical weight? Curator: Precisely. And the fact that it's being pressed into something as ephemeral as butter - the act of transforming, shaping food for the family table - what values are represented here? It almost feels like a miniature tableau of pastoral life pressed into edible form. The scene alludes to prosperity. The labor behind foodways gets lost when removed from their land. Editor: So it's about more than just a pretty design? Curator: Oh, certainly! Even the circular form speaks volumes. Think of its resemblance to a coin or a medallion – bestowing value, marking ownership, declaring heritage through symbolism for a household to cherish. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. Seeing it as a kind of declaration or cultural preservation. Thanks, that's given me a lot to consider. Curator: Indeed, visual artifacts are all carriers of cultural continuity.