Ivory Black 1935

Curator: This is a bottle of "Ivory Black" pigment, manufactured by F. Weber & Company, likely dating back to 1935. It's held within the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It’s like looking at a little vessel of pure potential. All that darkness, ready to spring forth into some artist's imagination. Curator: Consider the history imbued in this simple object. Weber was a major supplier, shaping artistic practices through the materials they provided. Editor: I wonder what masterpieces were born from this very pigment? The hands that held this bottle, the worlds they brought to life. Curator: And what of ivory black itself? Its production, its cultural significance—pigments tell silent stories about trade, industry, and aesthetics. Editor: It whispers of forgotten techniques, lost studios, the alchemical dance between raw material and transcendent art. It's beautiful, almost ghostly. Curator: Indeed, something as quotidian as pigment becomes a portal to understanding broader artistic and societal trends. Editor: Absolutely. It’s a tiny reminder that even the darkest matter can hold the brightest possibilities.