Pokal with cover 1785 - 1799

This covered pokal was crafted by Johann Sigismund Menzel in the late 18th or early 19th century. The pokal presents an interplay of transparency and opacity, where clear glass is contrasted with the solid silhouettes of figures encased within oval frames. These stark, dark portraits, arranged in a triangular composition, create a focal point against the vessel’s otherwise diaphanous body. The structure of the glass itself—from its footed base to the ornate knob of the lid—evokes a sense of classical order and symmetry, which is somewhat disrupted by the asymmetry of the figures' arrangement. This disruption engages a discourse on representation and identity. The pokal invites us to consider how such objects negotiate personal and public spheres.