Handbag c. 1930

Editor: This "Handbag," made around 1930, is a surprising mix of media formed into the shape of a car, right down to the tires. It has an intriguing texture. What’s your take on it? Curator: It's fascinating to consider this piece through a materialist lens. We see metal, mixed with other, softer materials, mimicking the machine aesthetic of the Art Deco period. The bag highlights how even everyday objects become sites of material and social meaning. Notice the detailing of the “wheels”. Are those manufactured components or carefully crafted imitations? Editor: They appear to be intentionally made to resemble industrial components. How does that detail shape your interpretation? Curator: Precisely! The “Handbag” asks: at what point does mass production transition from function to purely decorative craft? How does the object embody the anxieties and aspirations tied to consumer culture of the 1930s? It mimics, satirizes perhaps, the era’s obsession with speed and industry. Consider also the gendering of labor involved in both car manufacture and handbag construction; how do they relate? Editor: I see what you mean. It bridges these distinct worlds, blurring lines between technology and craft, masculinity and femininity through production and design. Curator: Indeed. This handbag reveals the complex network of social and economic relationships embedded within its seemingly simple form, begging us to investigate its material journey from conception to consumption. Editor: I’ll definitely look at everyday objects in museums differently from now on!