-Our Kitchener- still bank 1914

Curator: This remarkable artifact, currently residing in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is titled "-Our Kitchener- still bank." Created around 1914 and likely attributable to Sydenham & McOustra, it is rendered in bronze, taking the form of a figural sculpture. What strikes you most when you look at this? Editor: Immediately, I’m drawn to its almost oppressive formality and the material. That bronze has taken on this deep, almost melancholic patina. It makes me think about empire and memory and what happens when heroes are placed on a pedestal. Curator: It is quite imposing. Focusing on the socio-political climate, Lord Kitchener, as in, Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, was a very public and popular figure. He became the face of British military recruitment efforts, even before World War I, solidifying an iconic and complicated legacy as he rose to be a British Field Marshal. This bank, then, speaks volumes about the era's popular heroes, empire, and the normalization of wartime finance. Editor: Yes, it feels intrinsically tied to issues around the glorification of the military complex, yet made as a tool for savings. There’s a real tension in presenting this patriarchal figure and all the violence he enabled as something for children to emulate, linking wealth, war and authority. Curator: Indeed. The formal elements themselves, the crest, the decorative floral frame, work together to create this effect. And considering the era in which it was produced, what dialogues can we encourage by revisiting this work in a contemporary framework? Editor: In the age of decolonization, it is an urgent example of how imperial authority embeds itself into daily objects to teach ideologies of power to citizens and younger generations. As an art historian, what does it signal for you? Curator: For me, it reinforces how artworks are shaped by socio-political context. Beyond pure aesthetics, it showcases how objects actively participate in disseminating narratives and reinforcing prevailing values in public life. This bank is an accessible illustration of how cultural history, power and the circulation of imagery combine. Editor: Absolutely. Thanks for revealing such a comprehensive view that acknowledges and explores important historical contexts and continuing conversations. Curator: It's always enriching to unpack the complexities of an era through its art.