Quercitron Bark 

Curator: This is "Quercitron Bark," produced by Skilbeck Brothers. It presents a glass bottle containing the bark itself, alongside a color calibration card. Editor: It strikes me as something from an old apothecary. The color card's grid is so vibrant and modern beside that dusty, subdued powder. Curator: The bark was likely part of a collection used for dyeing textiles. Quercitron provided a reliable yellow dye widely used in industry. Editor: So, even this simple bottle speaks to a much larger history of global trade, doesn't it? A symbol of transformation, really, from tree to pigment to cloth. Curator: Precisely. Its display here reflects the evolving role of museums in contextualizing not just art, but also industry and science. Editor: It's a fascinating juxtaposition. The mundane revealing hidden histories. Curator: It gives us pause to consider the politics of production. Editor: Indeed. And the surprising beauty in functional objects.