Butter Dish 1885 - 1888

This butter dish, made by Richards and Hartley Flint Glass Co., presents a constellation of small, raised spheres across its form. These orbs are not merely decorative; they speak to something deeper. Consider, for example, the recurring motif of circular forms throughout history, from ancient mandalas to Renaissance depictions of halos. Circles have long symbolized unity, completion, and the infinite. These spheres evoke a sense of abundance, reminiscent of clusters of grapes in Bacchic imagery. However, here, these spheres are contained, regimented, almost tamed, suggesting a domestication of natural abundance. Think of the psychological underpinnings: the human desire to control and order the natural world. The very act of preserving butter, a symbol of nourishment and life, within this ornamented container reflects our complex relationship with nature, where we seek to both celebrate and dominate its bounty. This image is not linear, it is cyclical. The motif has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.