Goblet 1855 - 1870

Curator: Here we have a glass goblet, attributed to the New England Glass Company and crafted between 1855 and 1870. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Its smoothness is striking. It possesses an austere and serene aesthetic, almost lunar in its reflectivity and minimalist form. Curator: Indeed. Let’s consider the structure. The goblet’s form consists of a wide, slightly flared cup, a bulbous stem, and a circular base, all meticulously formed to create an impression of stability and grace. The interplay of light and shadow on the clear glass adds to its visual interest. Editor: What intrigues me is considering how this object was produced. Think of the glassmakers: the blowing, shaping, and annealing—the sheer physical labor in creating such an elegant, seamless form from molten material. There must have been a division of labour in its production: who designed it and who realised its materiality? Curator: Those questions highlight the inherent tension between artistic intention and the execution within the industrial processes of the era. But consider its symbolic function within domestic rituals and bourgeois life during the Victorian period. Wouldn't this form resonate with the growing middle classes? Editor: Yes, you are probably right. Thinking of its historical context is more difficult now because this goblet has moved away from such rituals into the display vitrines of the Metropolitan Museum. By turning it into an untouchable objet d'art we seem to remove it from its domestic or dining-room history. Curator: Perhaps we're now viewing it through a different lens, one of aesthetic appreciation detached from daily use. We can consider how it communicates values of refinement, sophistication, and the burgeoning possibilities of industrial design in the mid-19th century. Editor: Ultimately, the interplay of craftsmanship and design, I think, elevates the simple goblet beyond its utilitarian function. Curator: It serves as a marker of its time. An enduring symbol of craftsmanship and functional elegance.