Vase 1893 - 1896

Curator: Here we have "Vase", a piece crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany between 1893 and 1896. The medium is glass, and it resides here at The Met. Editor: It’s unexpectedly severe, isn't it? Considering the flamboyance usually associated with Tiffany, this has a kind of solemn, almost monastic quality. The deep, dark glass adds to that feeling. Curator: I see your point. Tiffany's work often carries motifs related to natural form, but that is taken a different way here, almost to pure shape itself. Look at those applied prunts around the shoulder—so minimal, yet still echoing organic forms. Editor: It makes me think about the restraints placed upon artists at the time—the battle between self-expression and societal expectation, even for someone like Tiffany. I can almost feel his pull towards stark, reductive design pushing against the ornate Art Nouveau style. Curator: That friction you sense makes the vase quite compelling. I also think that its function isn’t straightforward; a vase holds something, supports it. This looks almost pregnant, hinting at generation or formation itself as a sort of potential vessel. Editor: You are hinting at a theme in some of his art from this period. There’s something about its darkness that challenges the delicate flower arrangements one might expect inside. Perhaps it reflects a growing unease, the shadow beneath the surface of Gilded Age excess. Curator: Maybe even the transition from nature to industrial progress and environmental fragility? I love how objects hold different layers across different viewing lenses. Editor: It's amazing that an artwork can generate all these levels of dialogue! That is its true essence. Curator: Yes, its symbols remain very relevant now as we also face ecological changes that weigh upon us.