Cookie Cutter c. 1941

Adolph Opstad rendered this cookie cutter with watercolor on paper. The cutter is shaped as a horse, a symbol deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. Throughout history, the horse has appeared as a symbol of power, freedom, and nobility, yet it is also a symbol of labour and domesticity. We see it represented in prehistoric cave paintings, ancient Greek sculptures, and Renaissance equestrian portraits. Here, the horse has been domesticated, reduced to a mere form for shaping dough. The transformation of the horse symbol echoes our complex relationship with nature itself: from revered deity to tamed servant. Even in this humble form, the horse retains a glimmer of its primal energy, a connection to ancient myths and archetypes, reminding us of the enduring power of symbols to carry meaning across time.