Drawer pull 1805 - 1835

Curator: I find myself captivated by the delicacy of this gilded drawer pull. The floral relief is exquisite. Editor: Yes, there’s something rather enchanting about its modest scale and intense materiality. The piece is known as "Drawer Pull", likely created between 1805 and 1835 by Henry Kellam Hancock. We see it exhibited here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: It’s Neoclassical in style. Given that context, consider how its ornamental purpose—to embellish furniture—intersects with social structures. Who were the consumers who wanted or needed this gilded ornamentation? Was the drawer it adorned also similarly luxurious? Editor: Good questions. Also consider the artistry in the craftsmanship. It’s metalwork elevated beyond pure functionality, approaching high art through laborious detail. Can we really separate so called ‘decorative arts’ from the broader currents of neoclassical sculpture, when there's clearly shared labor and shared cultural references at work here? Curator: Perhaps what separates the object's function and its aesthetic meaning depends on the hands that interact with it. Imagine this drawer pull installed; think about the individuals accessing whatever was stored within. Does the added artistry serve to signal wealth and status, perhaps, to emphasize the preciousness of the contents kept secure inside? Or might there have been something accessible about this common everyday touchpoint to more layers of society at the time? Editor: We see examples of the time where it’s very hard to divorce these questions, don't we? Even at a micro-scale, this one drawer pull reflects major social concerns, which both dictated who had access to these refined artisanal objects. The artist’s labor becomes a commodity embedded within these socioeconomic constraints, of course. It represents a moment in which metalworking both reinforced and perhaps even subtly challenged hierarchical norms. Curator: It is fascinating how such a utilitarian item provokes such rich speculation. Editor: It truly does invite reflection, and brings so many avenues to bear from differing critical vantages.