Fingerbowl c. 1929 - 1930

This Fingerbowl, in the collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, made by an anonymous artist, features a larger bowl with handles and three accompanying smaller bowls. It makes me think of a painter building up layers, of careful planning. The subtle floral patterns chased onto the surface—they remind me of the delicate marks artists make when they’re trying to capture something fleeting. The artisan probably held the tool at a certain angle, pressed with just the right amount of force. The whole piece feels so composed, like they knew exactly what they were doing! And I also think of the hours and hours the artist spent on it, the kind of quiet focus it takes to create something like this. They were probably thinking about tradition, or about impressing someone, maybe even just about the sheer pleasure of working with their hands. The art of the past enriches the art of the present. We build on one another’s creativity to produce something new.