Cookie Jar with Cover c. 1938

Editor: Here we have Nicholas Amantea’s “Cookie Jar with Cover,” made around 1938. It looks like it is both a drawing and ceramic? It's beautifully rendered, the floral design gives it a quaint feel. What is your interpretation of this interesting piece? Curator: From a materialist perspective, the most interesting aspect here is the convergence of production processes. The cookie jar itself—ceramic, a material transformed through intense labor and industrial processes. We must examine its history within the context of production, consumption, and use. How does it function within the domestic sphere, who is laboring, and how is the process of creating the object? Editor: That’s an interesting point, especially considering the label present on the object itself. What is the cultural context for cookie jars and why they are labeled? Curator: Exactly. The "Cookie Jar with Cover" is a vessel of American history, and therefore should be regarded not only as a beautiful container for storing treats, but as a complex intersection of function, form, material production, labor, commerce, and domestic rituals. How do these objects, mass-produced and seemingly simple, become invested with personal meaning through daily use? How is a specific name attached to it during the manufacturing process? Editor: That’s such a thorough way to put it into context. This discussion has illuminated the object's story, connecting material to society. Curator: I concur. This piece speaks to the significance of craft and industry interwoven with the history and lives of Americans.