Pewter Dram Bottle c. 1936

This is Henry Meyers' "Pewter Dram Bottle," a study rendered with graphite, ink, and colored pencil. The vessel’s circular form, etched with concentric rings, immediately evokes the symbolism of the circle. Since antiquity, the circle has represented wholeness, eternity, and the cyclical nature of life. Think of the Ouroboros, the snake devouring its tail, a symbol of the eternal return, present across cultures from ancient Egypt to Norse mythology. Similarly, the concentric rings here might suggest layers of existence, each connected to the center, the core of being. The act of containing liquid, too, has its own deep symbolism, often associated with the womb and nurturing. But here, it is a dram, a small portion, perhaps hinting at a darker, more complex need for solace or escape. The vessel itself becomes a potent symbol, laden with layers of meaning, a microcosm of human experience distilled into a simple, elegant form.