Watch 1697

Curator: Immediately I notice a quiet dignity about it. Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at is a pocket watch, created around 1697 by John Mitzell. It's part of the decorative arts collection at the Metropolitan Museum. It's crafted primarily from metal. Curator: The baroque style certainly exudes that sense of importance. But for me, there is something about the color contrast of the dark surround against the gleaming silver face, like the contrast of mortality and fleeting time. It is heavy with implications. Editor: Yes, I see how you'd arrive there. But consider the circular form. It invites us to think of wholeness, unity. Note how the watch face is engraved, segmented with those elegant Roman numerals. Curator: Those Roman numerals evoke a link to a past steeped in tradition, don’t they? Time stretching back through history, demanding reflection. This tiny sculpture invites contemplation of not only linear time but also how time moves for each of us. Editor: Quite so, and the winding key becomes almost architectural with its T shape and heavy gauge metal, a small monument of engineering and design that accentuates the intricate clockwork within. Consider the play of light and shadow on the dial as well, a careful study of textures. Curator: All objects exist in cultural and social landscapes. I wonder, who owned it? What pivotal moments did its ticking accompany? An object such as this resonates beyond mere mechanics, acting as a silent witness. Editor: I can appreciate the pull to consider such possibilities, especially as the artifact, in isolation, presents its materials in the purest, most abstracted fashion. In so doing, the artist speaks with a simple grandeur. Curator: Its baroque design provides insight into the symbolic worldview of its time. Each scroll, each flourish carries echoes of the beliefs and aspirations held by its creators and users. A profound object. Editor: Absolutely. Mitzell's craft gives rise to philosophical ideas; ideas that linger even centuries later.