Teapot c. 1930s

Editor: This shiny tea set, dating from the 1930s, is currently at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It features a teapot, sugar bowl and creamer, all made of silver and ivory, and crafted in the Art Deco style. It feels very streamlined. What stands out to you most about this piece? Curator: Immediately, I consider the labour involved. This isn’t some mass-produced item. The individual working and polishing the silver, shaping the ivory… consider the skilled hand that gave form to these raw materials. Are we elevating ‘art’ over craft here? Where do we draw that line when considering objects of daily life made precious through material and care? Editor: So you're focusing less on aesthetics and more on the labor of production? Curator: Exactly. Art Deco often gets lumped in with ideas of pure luxury and effortless style, but this set forces us to confront its creation. How were the raw materials sourced? Were the workers fairly compensated? The gleam of the silver hides complex social questions of production and consumption. Even the geometric shapes speak to a mechanized, industrial age attempting to redefine luxury through streamlining. Editor: That's a very different perspective than I usually consider with Art Deco. It makes me think about the cost of materials and labor. Curator: And what about the ritual of tea itself? Consider tea's colonial history and trade networks – how does this object participate in that larger economic system? Objects aren't neutral. Editor: This has completely changed the way I see this seemingly simple teapot! Curator: Precisely! Looking at art through the lens of materiality opens up a wealth of inquiry, challenging the established narrative.