Dish 1889

Curator: This object is a dish, made around 1889. It's earthenware with a glazed surface, a fine example of late 19th century decorative arts, housed right here at the Metropolitan Museum. Editor: Okay, right off the bat, there’s a sort of comforting awkwardness about it. It's geometrically rigid—the hard angles and symmetry, yet softened by this freehand floral design in white, almost ghostlike, scrawled on top. Curator: Exactly! The hard-edged form is in dialogue with the organic, flowing lines. It hints at a tension, I think, common at the time, between industrial production and a longing for handmade authenticity. The Arts and Crafts movement was just hitting its stride then. Editor: And it also speaks to me of folk art. The lack of precise, mechanical rendering gives it such personality. It’s like the artisan allowed a little of themself, or maybe the imperfection of life, into it. Curator: That’s a key tension in the rise of decorative arts then; handmade objects were implicitly presented as alternatives to what was seen as the alienating effect of industrial manufacture. People wanted objects that could feel part of daily life. Editor: The slight irregularities are exactly what makes me feel drawn to it! A clean sleek thing could be visually arresting for sure but would somehow keep its secrets. It feels almost as if, if I ran my fingers over its surfaces, I might get a hint of what life was like when this object first sat on some table waiting to be filled. Curator: I appreciate that thought. It certainly has the potential to become an incredibly valuable glimpse into the history of public role and visual tastes in arts during this period. A modest artwork like this actually bears an intriguing significance. Editor: Definitely. I leave here wondering who placed it on their table, what their home felt like and all the secrets of daily life from long ago locked safely away.