Wine glass or salt cellar 18th-19th century

Curator: Here we have what is referred to as a “Wine glass or salt cellar” from sometime in the 18th or 19th century. The piece is composed of glass, and resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: The glass is so clear it almost vanishes! The delicate shaping of the glass is mesmerizing. Is that decorative pattern embossed within it? It evokes an artifact excavated from some archaeological site—remnants of someone’s long-forgotten feast. Curator: Exactly! These objects weren't simply functional. Their design spoke to status and cultural values. When considering domestic life from this period, we might examine how the serving, distribution, and consumption of wine or even salt functioned within specific hierarchies. Were these objects tools of the patriarch for maintaining control within family structures? Who were the artisans and their roles? Editor: You're right to ask those critical questions. It begs another question, what specific narratives and messages were embedded? Notice how the diamond pattern wraps the bowl and evokes feelings of a distorted world where reality is seen through fractured lenses? Curator: Yes! Consider also the visual echoes—we can link this design to symbols of wealth, authority, even spiritual belief in that epoch. To dig even deeper, let's investigate the glass trade itself and consider it through the legacy of colonialism. The stories objects such as these can tell! Editor: This type of historical object acts like a mirror, reflecting society and power structures through artistry and practicality. Curator: Exactly—It makes you wonder how something so small could actually carry a message of the intersection between power and social construct. Editor: I will view glass objects in exhibits very differently from now on! Curator: It goes to show what is waiting for us to unearth once we start exploring those dimensions!