-Basket Bank (Smooth)- still bank c. 1902

Curator: Let's discuss this captivating object titled "-Basket Bank (Smooth)- still bank", dating from around 1902, crafted by Charles A. Braun. You'll find it in our collection here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: Well, it's got that heavy, earthen feel. It reminds me of old cooking pots, something found in an archeological dig. You half expect to unearth stories from it. Curator: Braun was working within the Arts and Crafts movement, and there's a distinct interest in handmade aesthetics here, resisting industrial mass production. Notice the stoneware construction combined with those steel handles. Editor: The handles give it that sturdy feel, doesn't it? It seems like you'd pass it down generations! A weird thought, given its a piggy bank, an emblem of personal, rather than familial wealth. I find that tension intriguing. Curator: Banks became potent symbols during this era. As industrial capitalism boomed, thrift and savings were actively promoted, particularly among the working classes. This bank encouraged, or even coerced people to deposit their coin, reinforcing such ideals. Editor: Coercion, really? It's kind of dark. There is that whole idea of delayed gratification lurking beneath the simple object here! But something about the dark glaze and those swirling marks gives me a feeling of contained energy, almost magical... as though all that money inside has potential for wonderful things! Curator: Indeed. The choice of stoneware suggests permanence, and reinforces the value associated with thrift and accumulation in turn-of-the-century American culture. Editor: You know, for a supposed instrument of economic control, it possesses a surprising amount of… character. It’s oddly inviting. The slightly imperfect handmade nature gives it charm. I see more to it now. It tells you something deeper about us than only saving money. Curator: Exactly. And considering how collecting still holds its own even now, that history remains resonant. Editor: Yes, so it goes. Even history itself seems like its constantly gathering something… value… maybe even truths, the longer we have access to it!