Stove Plate c. 1942

Editor: We’re looking at a “Stove Plate,” dating back to around 1703. It seems to be made of metal. Its relief details give it such an incredible medieval touch. I’m really intrigued by its design; there’s a kind of somber yet stately quality to it. What draws your eye when you look at this work? Curator: Well, isn't it something? It speaks to me of hearth and home, doesn’t it? In the chill of, say, a Pennsylvania winter in 1703, that stove plate wasn’t just functional, was it? It was whispering of warmth and safety. The motifs too; the stylized tulips springing from their little urns—a heart nestled between—they are Pennsylvania Dutch symbols aren't they? Were you aware that often symbolize love, fertility, and the blossoming of a new life in a new land? Do you sense that connection here, that newness? Editor: I see what you mean now. I was so focused on the historical aspect that I missed the symbolism within. I guess I just hadn’t connected those familiar shapes, the tulips, the heart, to such a powerful message. I suppose the inscription of George Stevenson is connected to the commissioner of the stoveplate? Curator: Precisely. It grounds us to the individual. Someone named George Stevenson likely wanted that piece, that slice of domestic security and blooming life, for their very own home. He literally inscribed his existence in it. It has an intimate feel to me; it tells me more of a feeling that someone wanted to create in their house. Do you get a more emotional impact when knowing the commissioner and seeing those tulip ornaments and its hidden connections? Editor: I do, definitely. I initially just saw a decorative plate, but now I appreciate its story and the human element embedded within its design. Curator: Wonderful. And wasn't that what you wanted to explore today? Editor: Totally! That made me really reconsider my idea that the somber tones where something obvious on the art piece! I learned a lot and I know the listeners will too.