Bowl 1896 - 1915

Editor: So, this lovely object is called "Bowl," created sometime between 1896 and 1915 by Louis Comfort Tiffany. It’s currently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Made of glass, it's surprisingly captivating – almost ethereal with its pale colours and soft curves. It feels like it's made of solidified light. What do you see in it? Curator: Light made solid – I love that! It truly captures Tiffany’s genius. For me, this bowl whispers of underwater dreams. Can you see how the opalescent glass seems to capture and reflect light from within, much like the surface of the ocean on a bright day? It's as if he trapped the shimmer of a sunlit wave. Editor: I hadn't thought of the ocean connection. Now that you mention it, I can definitely see it in the swirling patterns and the almost sea-foam green rim. What about the form? Is it just decorative or does it have a deeper significance? Curator: Good question! Its simple form beautifully embodies the Art Nouveau ethos - this movement in the late 19th and early 20th century embraced nature, and its fluid lines over strict functionality. It makes you question what purpose this may have had. To hold flowers, or even just dreams? I imagine Tiffany delighted in this ambiguity, in creating an object that transcends its utilitarian purpose. Editor: That's fascinating, it sounds as if it becomes something different than just an ordinary bowl. Curator: Exactly. Its almost a celebration of beauty and light. The object transcends form and materials. A simple vessel holding light and dreams. Editor: I'm never going to look at a glass bowl the same way. Thank you!