Sauce Dish 1870 - 1890

Curator: Oh, how delicate. The play of light and color gives it such a serene presence. Editor: Indeed. Let's take a closer look. What we have here is a sauce dish, created by Challinor, Taylor and Company sometime between 1870 and 1890. Currently, it resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: The craftsmanship is exquisite. It's the kind of object that speaks to the Victorian era's embrace of decorative art, mirroring aspirations of domestic refinement and social grace through objects intended for intimate family life and polite social exchange. A small glass vessel elevates the simple act of dining, it reminds us about a rising middle class and the material expression of respectability in a rapidly industrializing America. Editor: Absolutely. Focusing on the design itself, the scalloped edge adds a rhythmic, almost musical quality. And the glass! The way the amethyst hues blend and swirl suggests a very careful and studied technique. Curator: There’s something so compelling about these colors. They seem deliberately chosen to provoke certain responses. Purple, associated with royalty and sophistication, conveys an intentional visual message when displayed during dinner, representing how identity could be signaled and reinforced through such ordinary, mundane interactions and tableware. Editor: And how form is intertwined with its function. It invites one to consider what types of sauce this was intended for, maybe plum or berry sauce given the deep violet color palette… There is such subtle patterning on the foot. The artists carefully composed the bowl's contours, optimizing light to play across its surface, transforming its functionality into a captivating aesthetic statement. Curator: Reflecting on that craftsmanship within the historical milieu, the use of colored glass itself became something of a political act; even in its opulence there is an undercurrent of democratization when compared with the gilded serving dishes of the aristocracy. Access and self-representation! Editor: That is a perspective worth exploring. What an opportunity to closely analyze and deconstruct, looking beyond beauty to broader themes. Curator: And equally important to revel in its craftsmanship. Thank you for pointing those out!