Three Covered Tankards 1800 - 1900

Curator: What a find! This print from between 1800 and 1900 showcases, with impressive detail, "Three Covered Tankards." It's part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The artist, sadly, is anonymous. Editor: My first thought is ornate. An intricate design of meticulous detail makes it clear these are more than just vessels. They feel almost architectural. Curator: Indeed! The image uses a combination of drawing, engraving, and colored pencil. Focusing on material, these aren't merely drawings, but reproductions—documenting a cultural trend perhaps for wider consumption? Editor: Yes, looking at the balance and form, I am drawn to the way the light catches the curves and intricate carvings. Notice the narrative scenes depicted around each tankard? It begs closer examination of design and execution, irrespective of its mass appeal. Curator: And consider the function meeting art here. Engraved depictions of figures – one a writing man, the others, what look like small armies! Were they commemorative objects celebrating governance or industry? Who owned these? Editor: It seems more symbolic. Look closely. Serpents wind around the central tankard—symbols of wisdom, eternity? The floral designs on the right tankard provide rhythm. All these elevate the everyday, speaking volumes on how aesthetics shaped routine back then. Curator: Good point! A convergence of functionality, material affluence, and pictorial storytelling all mediated through craft is present here. Such historical record gives us insights into not just what they drank from, but how societies chose to represent meaning and power. Editor: Ultimately, the artist's medium gives way to meaning in symmetry and symbolism here, while also opening many windows for interpretation of ritual and artistry.