Pitcher 1849 - 1858

Curator: Let's discuss this 'Pitcher,' crafted by the United States Pottery Company between 1849 and 1858, currently residing here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's made of earthenware with a swirling, almost marbled glaze effect. What strikes you first? Editor: The way the swirls play across the structured facets. It feels… discordant, somehow. As if organic movement is being forcibly contained by geometric constraints. Is that intentional? Curator: In part. The technique mimics the appearance of naturally veined marble, which, at the time, represented luxury and refinement. This earthenware, while less precious, made that aesthetic accessible to a broader audience. The handle even mimics the form of a tree branch. Editor: A democratic object masquerading as high art. But the tension remains visually potent, almost… uneasy. Is it also intended to echo contemporary class tension? Curator: Perhaps not consciously in that direct fashion, though it's certainly fair to examine these items through that prism. But remember, mid-19th century America was grappling with industrialization, a shift from hand-crafting to mass production. So an object like this reflects a cultural negotiation— an attempt to reconcile machine-made forms with the irregularities we expect from nature and artisanal objects. Editor: It's a rather clever, or perhaps fraught, mirroring then. It mimics high-end stone, but also hints at the artificiality inherent in striving for such imitation. I see the branch now in the handle. And the way the form subtly suggests growth even within the defined angles adds to the feeling of barely suppressed vitality. It isn't just holding water; it’s somehow about the act of containing. Curator: Absolutely. It’s about presenting an accessible aspiration through everyday items and it represents where American mass produced object making was headed. So what are your closing thoughts here? Editor: Its conflicting qualities evoke the anxieties around progress of that period, creating an enduring tension which still draws one's eye. Curator: Yes, objects like this pitcher speak to both their time and to enduring human desires. The urge for beauty, aspiration and utility wrapped up in the aesthetics of stoneware.