Scales 1802 - 1816

Curator: What a severe object. Looking at "Scales", which dates from 1802 to 1816, I’m immediately struck by how cold and unwavering it appears. Editor: It is striking, isn't it? These scales are currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Examining it, I'm particularly drawn to the iron craftsmanship. One immediately gets a sense of the labor and materiality present in this tool of early commerce. The very clear stamp reading “J. Edwards, New York” tells us about production and location of origin. Curator: Absolutely, the presence of "J. Edwards, New York" evokes the growth of commerce in early America. It's a fascinating detail, because scales as an image represent so many things: justice, balance, even fate. Think of the scales held by Lady Justice, an icon present in many legal settings. I see echoes of that in this piece. Editor: Indeed, the scale is more than its physical function. But think about its creation; consider that the balance relies on precise counterweights that speaks to a scientific form of craft production. You've named its symbolic significance, but I am curious how its manufacture may have impacted, even changed, society. Curator: A fair point. This does force us to reflect on its purpose beyond metaphor. The formal symmetry inherent in scales makes its presence somewhat serene despite the weight of judgment or assessment it might represent. I can see its artistic and social worth beyond its economic usage. Editor: Precisely. What begins as an instrument used for trade takes on aesthetic value, something preserved, even elevated by a museum setting. It prompts us to consider art, production, value, and who and how all these are being created and viewed today. Curator: Looking at "Scales" has truly given us much to contemplate, connecting physical production to broader conceptual meanings about the human experience. Editor: Indeed. From materiality to meaning, "Scales" serves as an object of both mercantile exchange and insightful conversation.