Serpent in C 1775 - 1805

Curator: This is an unusual piece—a serpent in C. Its creation dates back to somewhere between 1775 and 1805. Crafted from wood, this object, as you see, now resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Wow, it's, unexpected. The shape is wild—it doesn't even look like an instrument I'd expect to make sound, looks more like something you'd find in an industrial steampunk factory, if that makes sense. I imagine this dark wood instrument playing the heaviest notes ever. Curator: Your reading resonates. This object straddles different historical contexts. In terms of social function, it provided the bass line in the reed sections of many village churches and civic bands. Simultaneously, its association with the serpent speaks to intertwined narratives of sin, temptation, and knowledge—biblical connotations that still hold some kind of currency today, no? Editor: Definitely. Thinking about it further, it's kind of funny, too. The "serpent" represents chaos and this... thing… this serpent in C…brought order, rhythm, and probably some much-needed low notes to rural parishes. Also, the instrument itself has a chaotic almost Dr. Seuss kind of vibe too it. Curator: Absolutely, that tension is productive. It shows the constraints operating in that historical moment but also gives us an uncanny opening, now, in this moment, where we can begin thinking about the construction of faith as performance, as a carefully choreographed event rooted in social hierarchies, as much as genuine spirituality. And, yes, of course, the humor is always welcome in such considerations. Editor: Agreed. It really invites reflection—on faith, function, on the material. I think I would like it if I actually hear someone perform music with it someday too. It'd be cool to listen, even badly, because it just speaks to me, like…art, basically. Curator: Absolutely, what begins as something familiar often reveals new perspectives once interrogated more critically. We can all see new paths for thinking emerge. Editor: Exactly. Like looking at the shape and thinking that I need one to bring new dark tones to my metal band one day.