Gemel Bottle c. 1936

This is Yolande Delasser's Gemel Bottle. The warm earthy hues of the bottle contrast with the clean blue ink. I can imagine Delasser thinking about use when she made it. You know, what does it mean to picture the bottle and to think of it filled? I'm interested in how the inscription "New Haven," snakes around the surface, almost binding it. The way the bottle is divided into two chambers might speak to a larger idea about duality and containment. How do we hold onto things, and what do we choose to keep separate? I wonder if the artist felt divided. It's like she's thinking about the vessel as both a functional object and a symbolic form, right? It reminds me of those old folk art traditions, where everything you make has a story and a purpose. This bottle might be a simple object, but Delasser transforms it into something deeply personal and meaningful.