Beaker 1727 - 1730

This is a silver beaker, made by Joseph Russell in the 18th century. The cylindrical form, though simple, carries echoes of ancient vessels used in ritual and daily life. Consider the circle, subtly repeated in the beaker’s lip and base. The circle has been a symbol of eternity and unity since antiquity. We see it in ancient sun disks and the halos of religious figures, each instance imbued with a sense of the infinite. Its presence here, grounding the beaker, suggests a connection to these primal ideas of wholeness and continuity. The unadorned surface might seem devoid of overt symbolism, but the very lack of embellishment serves to amplify the form itself, inviting contemplation on the essence of the vessel. This simplicity can be profoundly evocative, engaging viewers in a subconscious dialogue with the past. Like a recurrent dream, the beaker’s form resurfaces across cultures and epochs, each time carrying a trace of its earlier incarnations.