Wine cup c. 20th century

Editor: Here we have a ceramic wine cup, likely from the 20th century, currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Its surface is a mottled grey with incised decorations. I immediately think of medieval chalices when I see it. What symbolic readings jump out at you? Curator: The immediate connection to the medieval period is significant. Though it's a 20th-century piece, the conscious invocation of that era channels specific cultural memories. Note the vegetal patterns. They aren't simply decorative. What might they signify, considering wine’s cultural importance? Editor: Grapes, maybe? Wine, celebration, the Eucharist? Curator: Precisely. And what feelings or ideas does that layering of meanings evoke in you, when we consider that it's crafted in a ceramic material, giving it a humble aura rather than one of gold and precious stones? Editor: Well, that juxtaposition feels really interesting. The material suggests everyday use, or maybe even a copy meant for display, which alters its potential ritual significance. Does that contrast point to changing social relationships with religious symbols? Curator: It's a perceptive observation! This ‘everydayness’ you're feeling suggests a democratization of sacred imagery, allowing it to enter the domestic sphere and prompting new interpretations that may have diverged from those held during its time. Editor: I hadn’t considered that – it changes how I see it entirely. Curator: These objects act as memory vessels, carrying encoded messages across time and material, prompting viewers like us to continually reinterpret these cultural values, questioning continuity and change.