Bowl c. 20th century

This bowl was made by the Handicraft Guild of Minneapolis sometime between 1904 and 1918. It's metal, with pierced decoration. It's not the kind of decoration you find on factory-made objects, there's something a little bit clumsy about it, and I think that's great. The warm colour of the copper contrasts with the dark interior, and that really grabs your attention. You can see the marks of the making process on the surface. The slight irregularities and the scratches on the surface are a reminder of the human hand, not a machine, involved in its creation. The piercing work on the upper part of the bowl—these geometric shapes—they’re not perfect, but that's part of their charm. It’s interesting to think about the Arts and Crafts movement, with its emphasis on handcrafting and the beauty of simple forms. It has a distant cousin in the work of someone like Bauhaus artist Marianne Brandt, though Brandt's work, such as her metal teapots, have more of an industrial and less of an obviously handmade feel. I always find it interesting to see how different movements work with and against each other in the art world.