-High Rise- still bank 1874

This cast iron still bank, titled "High Rise," was created by the Kenton Hardware Manufacturing Company. The bank presents a miniature, multi-story building. Its repetitive grid-like structure, composed of numerous small, square openings, creates a strong sense of verticality and geometric order. This emphasis on structure suggests a broader commentary on early twentieth-century urban architecture, particularly the rise of skyscrapers. The grid, a recurring motif in modernist art and architecture, symbolizes the rationalization and standardization of space. Here, it represents both progress and the potential dehumanization of the urban environment. The building's function as a coin bank introduces a semiotic twist: money, the lifeblood of capitalist society, is literally embedded within this architectural form. This raises critical questions about the relationship between economic systems and the built environment. The building's solidity, reflected in the bank's materiality, underscores the seeming permanence of financial structures, while hinting at their conceptual fragility. As a utilitarian object, the bank transcends mere aesthetics and becomes a commentary on societal values.