Pa. German Stove Plate c. 1937

Editor: We’re looking at a "Pa. German Stove Plate" from around 1937. It’s a wood carving – a relief, actually. There's a scene depicted here with three figures, looks medieval-inspired. It gives me kind of an eerie feeling. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Eerie, yes, that’s a great word for it. It feels like peering into a fractured fairy tale. It’s not just the archaic scene – a helmeted figure wielding a sword – but the rough texture, the obvious carving marks. You know, these stove plates weren’t just decorative; they radiated heat, warmth. And here, we have a story about – well, probably violence? Editor: I’m curious about the text at the bottom – it’s clearly German. Does it give us any clues? Curator: Absolutely! Though I’m a little rusty, I believe it refers to…the knight. The German is hard to read here, but there seems to be something grim here, or perhaps it's some kind of folkloric, traditional poem or moralistic story connected to death. Now, the figures themselves... notice how flat they are, almost cartoonish, but rendered with this gritty seriousness. And those vine-like decorations…they don’t quite soften the violence, do they? Editor: No, not really. They almost feel like they’re enclosing the figures. Curator: Exactly! So, we have this domestic object, meant for warmth, bearing this stark, perhaps brutal narrative. Do you see a connection between this almost primitive violence depicted here, with what was going on politically in Europe in 1937? Do you see any trace of German Expressionism? Editor: Hmmm...it could be a commentary, though quite obscure...or maybe it is drawing from very ancient traditions. I definitely see what you mean about German Expressionism, especially that distortion and that raw quality. Curator: Right? The past echoing through everyday life, warped and intensified. Makes you think, doesn’t it? Editor: It really does. Thanks, I'll never look at a stove plate the same way again!