Cup plate 1830 - 1835

Curator: Isn't it lovely? We're looking at a cup plate, made sometime between 1830 and 1835. It's an example of decorative art, crafted from glass. You can find it right here at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: It has an ethereal quality, a delicate blue filigree suspended in glass. There's such fine detail packed into a small circular space; how would you describe the organization of that ornamentation? Curator: Its materiality is vital; these glass cup plates were a practical response to a tea-drinking culture that demanded somewhere to put one’s cup. Consider the scale of production; these weren't individually crafted rarities but items designed for broader consumption, making design accessible to a growing middle class. Editor: Formally speaking, there's a mesmerizing concentricity to it. The scalloped edge leads your eye to the crosses, which in turn focus on the central rosette. It achieves depth using very subtle variations in the glass itself. The entire surface serves as the canvas, which I find innovative. Curator: Precisely. By democratizing ornamentation through relatively mass-produced objects, the glassworkers engaged in a transformative process that reshaped the aesthetic landscape of the time. Editor: Absolutely. Looking closely, the surface presents such varied textures and shades of color. Considering the repetition and variation within each pattern segment allows the composition to unfold. Even the symmetry and the variations reinforce its unique status, highlighting craft alongside practicality. Curator: Yes, and its preservation invites us to reconsider the values we assign to objects from the past—challenging distinctions between what’s 'art' and what constitutes 'craft' or 'useful object'. The plate tells an interesting social and manufacturing story. Editor: Examining the interplay between pattern and material is certainly rewarding. I think it brings a fresh perspective to our understanding of 19th-century aesthetics.