Covered Dish 1887

This covered dish, crafted in the United States by the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, presents us with the familiar form of a duck, rendered in delicate glass. The duck, a symbol traversing millennia, speaks to us of transition, adaptability, and the watery realms of the subconscious. We find echoes of this motif in ancient Egyptian art, where waterfowl were associated with the soul's journey. Even in distant China, the Mandarin duck is a symbol of marital fidelity and happiness. The glassmakers of Boston, whether consciously or not, tap into this rich reservoir of cultural memory. The vessel's smooth, cool surface belies the deep-seated symbolic weight it carries, subtly engaging our psyche. Ultimately, the duck reminds us that even the most commonplace objects can become vessels for powerful emotions and collective memories, their forms echoing through the corridors of time.