Flask 1850 - 1858

Editor: Here we have a ceramic flask made to resemble a book, crafted between 1850 and 1858 by the United States Pottery Company. The brown and gold mottled glaze gives it an antique look. What makes this piece so special? Curator: What intrigues me most is how this earthenware flask collapses the distinction between function and representation, high art and mass production. Notice the mimicking of bookbinding techniques in a commonplace drinking vessel, made possible by industrialization. It makes us consider how easily cultural symbols like the book, once associated with privilege, become commodities through these new means of production. Editor: So, you're saying it’s not just a quirky container but also a statement about industrialization affecting art and cultural values? Curator: Precisely. Consider the skilled labor required to create these forms on a larger scale. What impact might the material process have had on notions of craft, particularly in the context of 19th century America where industrial output increased, challenging traditions? Editor: It's fascinating how the materiality of this flask, the type of clay and glaze, connects to broader economic and social issues of the time. I hadn't thought of it in that way before. Curator: Exactly! The specific type of earthenware used tells us about accessibility, production costs and distribution, doesn't it? These are questions a materialist perspective raises that can profoundly shape how we interpret it. Editor: I'll definitely be paying more attention to materials and processes going forward. It adds another dimension to understanding art. Curator: Indeed. Focusing on materials gives objects voices, whispering tales of production and consumption across historical periods.