Jar 1849

This mottled brown jar was crafted by Bennington Pottery in the mid-19th century. The jar’s cylindrical body is adorned with vertical ribs, reminiscent of classical columns, which lend the humble container an air of dignity. Notice how the vertical fluting echoes the architectural forms of ancient Greece and Rome? The column, a symbol of stability and order, has been a recurring motif throughout Western art and architecture. This appropriation of classical forms speaks to a desire to imbue everyday objects with a sense of timelessness. Even the tortoise-shell glaze, with its unpredictable marbling, evokes the beauty of natural, earthly patterns, hinting at the jar’s connection to the ancient world. This glaze, with its unpredictable marbling, evokes the beauty of natural, earthly patterns. The jar, therefore, becomes more than just a vessel; it is a bearer of cultural memory. It's a reminder that the past is never truly gone, but rather lives on in the forms and symbols that surround us.