Creamer 1863 - 1870

Curator: A study in pure form and restrained elegance, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: It feels rather austere, almost cold, despite its delicate appearance. Curator: Indeed, this object, a “Creamer” made sometime between 1863 and 1870 by McKee and Brothers, compels close attention to the interplay between the material properties and its function. Look at the vertical fluting; observe how it transitions into the botanical motif—likely palm leaves—and note the simple handle. Editor: The molding of the clear glass directs the eye along vertical axes before subtly suggesting natural forms. I do find its very transparency fascinating. The structure itself, through careful manipulation, creates all of the drama. Curator: Exactly! The materiality of glass, in the context of its mass production by firms such as McKee, becomes a lens through which to view the rise of consumer culture in the United States. Mass production allowed beautiful objects to be made available to an expanding middle class, standardizing taste while simultaneously making luxury accessible. Editor: Do you see standardization as negating aesthetic value here, though? I perceive an inherent quality—an elegant interplay of geometric form and subtly representational motifs—that persists. It's a testament to good design. Curator: Standardization does not negate design; it simply shifts its locus. Here, design mediates between machine production and aspirational ideals— domestic harmony made manifest through everyday objects. Who made it accessible? Who was buying these products? Editor: Perhaps considering the original context does enhance the reading of the piece. Though I’d still assert it retains intrinsic value in form alone. It represents design values that echo across artistic media, the focus and use of material to suggest an elevated function. Curator: And who exactly ascribes these "intrinsic values?" Are they truly inherent, or assigned based on the ebb and flow of social forces? I find those very questions to be part of the point. Editor: It’s certainly given me pause. Viewing art, design or craft is never just about seeing, it is, I suppose, always about looking deeper. Curator: Precisely. Whether scrutinizing surfaces or probing supply chains, there’s always another story to unearth.