Tobacco Jar 1935 - 1942

Joseph Cannella made this design for a tobacco jar sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. It uses bronze to depict three fishermen standing above a nautical scene. The imagery of fishermen probably relates to the booming fishing and whaling industry of New England in the 1800s. The rise of industrial capitalism in the United States went hand in hand with the expansion of certain industries. Fishing created opportunities for wage labor and new markets for consumption. The tobacco industry was also expanding rapidly, giving rise to a demand for new kinds of consumer objects like this one. Without further information about the cultural context of this piece, its interpretation remains uncertain. More historical research is necessary to understand how Cannella was positioning himself with respect to the major industries of his time.