Gothic cylinder still bank c. early 20th century

This copper still bank with a gothic cylinder was made anonymously and now lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The warm copper surface feels both ancient and futuristic. It's like a prop from a Jules Verne novel. There's something about the way it sits there, all pointy and regal, that makes me think of a little fortress guarding its precious contents. The marks left by the metal-smith are a reminder of the hand that shaped it, and of the collective drive to save and accrue. Look at the way the light catches the cylinder. It’s very tactile. You can almost feel the smoothness of the metal under your fingers. It’s a bit like those Anish Kapoor sculptures, all about surface and reflection. This bank reminds me a bit of a work by H.C. Westermann, both artists creating sculptural forms from the rawest materials. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to be about grand statements. Sometimes, it’s about the simple act of making something beautiful and functional, a testament to human ingenuity and our ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.