Sugar Bowl 1933

This sugar bowl was made by Frank Graham Holmes, but the date isn’t known. The image of Independence Hall is so delicate and precise, it’s as if Holmes was trying to capture not just the building, but the very idea of Independence itself, trapping it in the glaze. And that copper trim—it’s almost like he’s gilding history, elevating the everyday to the level of national treasure. I wonder what Holmes was thinking when he put that little bird on top? Was it a symbol of freedom, soaring above the weight of the world? Or just a quirky, personal touch, a reminder that even the most serious of subjects can have a bit of humor? Art making is all about communication and exchange, not about knowing everything, but more about a space of imagining, a space for possibilities.