Goblet 1849 - 1858

Curator: I am struck by the dark, almost gothic elegance of this object. Editor: Let me introduce this as a ceramic goblet made sometime between 1849 and 1858 by Lyman, Fenton & Co. It’s earthenware with a distinctive glaze. Curator: The glaze really defines it. The way it seems to cascade down the sides gives it this sense of movement, almost as if it’s still being formed, alchemically brewing with potent symbolism. I'm especially curious about the bottom, which recalls tortoiseshell. There seems to be intentional symbolism within this decorative-art goblet, the darker hues suggesting introspection, mystery perhaps, set against this tortoise patterning as a kind of grounding. Editor: Or maybe that glazing technique speaks to a specific historical moment. These pieces emerged during a period of experimentation in American ceramics, reflecting a broader interest in geological patterns and the natural world—which was fueled, in part, by new industrial processes in potteries and glass factories. Curator: Ah, I see it! The flow of the glaze mimicking, perhaps subconsciously, natural forces—rivers, volcanic flow—but I feel it evokes something deeper in our shared, symbolic human experience. Perhaps the constant search for transmutation. The goblet's existence challenges any simplistic categorization of it; instead, its symbolism persists powerfully through decorative-art, which seems so prevalent during that time, becoming an expression of that historical period. Editor: Absolutely, consider its functionality—a goblet. Meant to hold drink, to be part of a shared social ritual, perhaps religious, a toast. Drinking from such an object, in that time, would elevate that shared cultural, ritual moment and emphasize your standing within society. Curator: Precisely, how many social moments are charged with symbolic significance, made manifest and meaningful through imagery? That's what stands out about this for me, personally. Editor: A beautiful object, imbued with that sense of American industrial ambition. It captures a moment in our country’s developing visual culture, while raising fascinating questions around taste, functionality, and value. Curator: A moment made physical. And now eternally shared through decorative-art's symbolic imagery and historical expression.