Leather bag c. 20th century

Curator: What a fascinating find! We're looking at a leather bag, believed to be from the 20th century, currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: It’s giving me strong Celtic vibes. I'm immediately drawn to the elaborate geometric patterns, those intertwining lines…there's an ancient, almost ritualistic quality to it. Curator: Exactly. Consider the time, the twentieth century saw an uptick in decorative arts inspired by ‘historical’ artefacts. This bag uses fibre-art to reanimate, perhaps idealize, older traditions. Editor: You're right, there is something quite modern about the stylization. Those aren't literal Celtic knots but abstracted versions, reworked for a contemporary audience. Curator: And the bag's functionality comes into play as well, it bridges the sacred and the mundane. The geometric patterns, so carefully executed, speak to broader visual symbolism. Editor: How do you see it functioning symbolically? To me, this geometric elaboration reads as an evocation of history for a new context, a culture consciously crafting meaning through a revived style. Curator: I am seeing continuity through visual symbols. But its reception is layered. Its intricate nature and use of specific geometric symbols and materials can invoke cultural pride. Editor: Yes, I'd say it functions both as an assertion of cultural heritage, and an object embedded within specific social and aesthetic values that existed within 20th century’s art marketplace. What are we meant to 'carry' when we bear a thing like this? Curator: Precisely! That is one way how cultural memory is encoded through visual forms, connecting past with present. I can’t help but sense how much this item holds about value of time and heritage for our understanding of visual history! Editor: It’s fascinating to unpack the meanings embedded in something we might casually pass by. A bag designed not just to carry objects, but to carry echoes of a larger story.