Bowl 18th-19th century

This clear glass bowl, found at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, presents an interesting interplay of form and function. Its transparent materiality immediately draws attention to its shape. The bowl is vertically divided into three distinct parts: a narrow base with vertical ridges, a rounded body decorated with subtle floral motifs and curved lines, and a slender neck that flares slightly at the top. This tripartite division gives the bowl a structured elegance and provides a sense of visual rhythm. The bowl’s structure, particularly its clear glass, invites a structuralist interpretation. It is a vessel, a container, and its transparency reveals its emptiness or potential content. Consider how the bowl subverts traditional notions of display and concealment. The floral patterns, almost ghostly in their subtlety, are like signs that hint at hidden meanings. The transparency of the glass destabilizes the boundary between inside and outside. The bowl, therefore, is more than just a functional item. It’s a cultural artifact that encourages us to reflect on the relationship between form, function, and meaning, as it hovers between utility and art object.