Deep dish c. 17th century

Curator: Looking at this gorgeous, swirling glass plate, I’m instantly transported. Editor: Yes, it has a hypnotic pull. A mesmerizing vortex—it’s deceptively simple, almost austere, yet there's a lot happening. I am getting Venetian vibes. Curator: That's because this "Deep Dish," created around the 17th century in Venice, is a beautiful example of Venetian glasswork. It’s anonymous, sadly, so we can only guess at the artisan who coaxed such delicate patterns from glass and ceramic. It lives here with us at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: The precision of those spiraling lines is just breathtaking. Each seems to whisper of meticulous labor, like tiny glass snakes charmed into perfect formation. You almost expect it to hum with trapped energy! And the way the light passes through… It feels less like looking at a dish and more like gazing into some primordial soup of creation. Curator: Precisely! This dish seems to echo the Renaissance obsession with mathematical order, those repeating circles reminding us that there's a certain visual harmony at work, it reminds us about the structure and rhythm of life, itself! Think about all the circles we use in symbolic ways - weddings rings, or halos. Editor: Interesting parallel! This makes me wonder what special occasions called for it? The glass is beautiful but it is practical at the same time - meant to be used. Were precious candies nestled within? Oysters shimmering on ice? How were rituals, like births or unions celebrated by eating out of something this beautiful? Curator: I imagine the latter. Venice was a cultural melting pot in the 17th century, full of wealth, artistic energy and intellectual buzz, and these ceremonial moments needed dishes to match the setting. It’s a wonderful dance of function and fancy! Editor: Right! Thanks for drawing my eye back to that incredible geometric motif at play here. The anonymous artist must have poured his soul and the secrets of Venice into this deceptively "simple" plate. It now has echoes in our lives and what we do to eat or to drink to. The continuity with our memory and this object makes you appreciate things. Curator: A beautiful reminder, isn't it, of how human ingenuity, cultural values, memory, and artistry can converge. A humbling and moving consideration of life itself.