Wine cooler (one of a pair) 1781

Editor: So this is one of a pair of silver wine coolers, crafted in 1781 by Ignaz Joseph Würth. It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The intricate Baroque style, especially the lion heads and grapevines, gives it a very opulent feel. What resonates with you when you look at it? Curator: I see a deliberate echo of classical antiquity. Consider the gadrooning – those curved, convex shapes – that flow down the bowl. Doesn't it remind you of the fluting on ancient Greek columns? The grapevine, of course, is a very ancient symbol of both festivity and the divine, connected to Dionysus or Bacchus, depending on whether you prefer the Greek or Roman nomenclature. Editor: That connection to ancient feasting and revelry definitely comes across. But what about the lion heads? Do they have similar symbolic weight? Curator: Indeed. Lions frequently represent strength, power, and guardianship across cultures. Think of the ancient Egyptians and their Sphinxes. By combining these symbolic languages – the classical architecture, the vine, the lion – the artist conjures up not just luxury, but a kind of lineage, a heritage of power and pleasure intertwined. This isn't simply a container; it’s a statement. What kind of memory would something like this conjure for people in that time? Editor: I hadn't thought of it as a statement piece, but it clearly projects an aura of prestige by drawing on those very powerful symbols from the past. Thanks, that really changes how I see it. Curator: And for me, reflecting on this silver piece makes me realize how objects can condense and carry so many layers of meaning across time.