Wine glass c. 1575 - 1600

Editor: This is an Italian Renaissance wine glass, crafted between 1575 and 1600 by an anonymous Venetian artist. It’s made of glass, naturally, and looking at its delicate structure makes me a bit nervous, like it could shatter at any moment. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It's a marvel of air, isn't it? I mean that literally and figuratively. Look at the impossibly thin walls, achieved with incredible breath control. But think too of the aspirations, the status, puffed up with hot air, this object signifies. Wouldn't you agree, there's almost something cartoonish about the extravagance? Editor: I do see what you mean; there's something almost exaggerated about it, like it belongs in a comedic still life. Why go to all this effort just for a glass? Curator: Precisely! Venetian glassblowing was the height of luxury. Owning something like this announced your wealth and sophisticated taste. It whispered, "I am someone of importance". I wonder what gatherings it graced…perhaps secret deals were celebrated over frothy white wine sipped from its delicate lip? Editor: Oh, that’s a thought! So it’s as much about the symbolism of luxury as it is about enjoying the wine itself? Curator: I'd say even more so. It’s a conversation starter, a statement piece, almost like wearable art in a way. I mean, can you imagine trying to wash that thing? A purely functional glass would have been much easier! Editor: True! This makes me see everyday objects from the past in a new light. It is really something else when you start looking at ordinary stuff as symbols and cultural objects. Thanks for that! Curator: My pleasure. We often overlook the voices embedded in the things our ancestors made. Just think: what will our plastic water bottles say about us centuries from now?