"Log Cabin" pattern spooner c. 1875

This spooner was made out of glass by the Central Glass Company, sometime between 1867 and 1896. It’s a striking blue vessel shaped like a log cabin, a visual symbol brimming with cultural and historical weight. The log cabin motif evokes images of frontier life, representing the ideals of self-reliance and the taming of the wilderness, but it also carries echoes of architectural forms stretching back millennia. Consider the archaic hut: the most primal shelter. Whether the structure is a basic wooden cabin, a woven shelter, or the Pantheon, a building provides a sense of enclosure and protection. What primal fears and needs are projected onto these spaces? The home appears again and again in various guises throughout history. The subconscious mind sees them all—the Pantheon, the hut, and even a glass spooner—each iteration reflecting our enduring need for security and belonging. The blue of this particular spooner adds another layer, suggesting not only the shelter of a home, but also the expansive, dreamlike quality of memory. In this spooner, the past is not just remembered, but actively reshaped and relived through the symbols we choose to surround ourselves with.