Classical Incense Burner 1800 - 1900

Curator: This drawing, aptly titled *Classical Incense Burner,* is estimated to come from the 1800s and is held at The Met. It's rendered in pencil and possibly print. The artist remains unknown. What catches your eye about it? Editor: The incense burner looks incredibly ornate. I’m drawn to the intricate details. There's something very architectural about it. It's not just a simple object; it feels like a miniature monument. How might its production influenced its design, and what could its widespread availability via prints signify about taste during this period? Curator: Exactly! The materiality here speaks volumes. The pencil drawing likely functions as a blueprint for the incense burner's fabrication, mediating the distance between conception and physical instantiation. The duplication through prints then expands its potential market, commodifying the design and shaping its social circulation. The level of detail probably required many specialized craftspeople if realized, a clear division of labor. What can we then understand about social hierarchies of labor practices, class status, and global commodity chains in the late 18th and 19th centuries? Editor: So, its design wasn't just aesthetic; it was a functional representation of economic and social structures at the time, involving numerous people in both creation and dissemination! This makes me appreciate the object as a marker for resource availability, class aspirations and complex commodity exchange! Curator: Precisely. Focusing on production exposes that what we are seeing are layers of labor, consumerism, and materiality, embedded in even seemingly simple items such as this design drawing. Editor: Thank you. Looking closely at how art is actually constructed and who's involved really opens up a fresh way to view historical artifacts. Curator: Indeed, it shifts the focus away from purely aesthetic value and towards understanding the social life of things.