Preserve Jar 1790 - 1830

This anonymous preserve jar in the Art Institute of Chicago is a humble testament to the human need to conserve and provide. Its simple, cylindrical form, rendered in earthy brown tones, speaks to the essential act of preserving food – a practice deeply intertwined with survival and community. The vessel reminds us that we must prepare for the future and stave off scarcity. Consider the symbolism embedded in similar vessels across cultures, from the amphorae of ancient Greece, used to store wine and oil, to the earthenware pots of indigenous communities, safeguarding seeds for the next planting season. The need to preserve is a primal human instinct, a desire to defy the transience of life itself. This jar, in its unassuming way, echoes the enduring human spirit.