Jug 1720 - 1730

Curator: Right in front of us, we have an ornate jug dating back to the 1720s or 30s, a stunning piece of decorative art attributed to Justus Alexander Ernst Glüer. Editor: It's immediately striking, isn't it? This intricate scene unfolds on what is essentially a bulbous canvas. I sense this celebratory feel, but also, in a way, an air of staged performance. It seems as though it wants to both tell us something and serve a purpose. Curator: Exactly! It's baroque elegance married with a certain… domesticity, if you will. Made of ceramic with elaborate figuration, and silver mountings—consider the craftsmanship! The labor required to mold, paint, and fire something like this! What can you see in terms of its process and manufacture? Editor: Porcelain was so prized at this time, seen as almost alchemical because its production method was known only to a few. The way the artist decorated its skin with narrative scenes elevated an everyday object. Curator: A very precious material that mirrors, almost reflects, how precious the stories must have been in its society. The use of grayscale evokes those hand-colored etchings of the time, the fine details really drawing the viewer in. Do you notice a painting or something similar at the very center of the design? Editor: I see a crowd within the artwork. Almost like art commenting on the production of art or performance or...consumption. Think about the environment it comes from! It's baroque, so consumption, material, decoration is key! Curator: And also key, like you hinted, is the performative quality; the little lion, the flourish. The figures are all positioned toward us, it has almost no intimate sense; even the natural surrounding figures as an intentional design element! It begs questions, about society, but even moreso of itself as a display of wealth or aesthetic vision. Editor: Definitely. Even now, its ability to beg such questions, that we have questions, shows its success in merging production and presentation. It also blurs high art and craft, just think about the time and energy and training this piece consumed. Curator: I agree! Looking closer makes me feel its pulse that much harder, thinking of the human touches. I just love the idea that someone held this so close to themself, or put it on display. Editor: Absolutely. An object imbued with labor, skill, and stories…that ultimately prompts our own reflection. It makes one see its value so differently.