-Captain Kidd- still bank 1901

Editor: Here we have a bronze sculpture titled "-Captain Kidd- still bank" created in 1901 by an anonymous artist. It strikes me as quite a melancholic depiction, not the swashbuckling pirate one might expect. What symbolic meaning do you find in this piece? Curator: This bank, meant to hold a child's savings, taps into the legend of Captain Kidd, but the imagery presents him in a somber light. Observe his stance – the slump of his shoulders, the placement of the shovel. He isn’t actively burying treasure, but perhaps guarding it or even lamenting it. Editor: So, is the bank's functionality at odds with Kidd's traditional story, creating a cautionary figure rather than a celebratory one? Curator: Precisely! It asks, what is the real treasure? Is it gold buried in the ground, or perhaps something more? The tree stump beside him further solidifies that the symbolic association with grounding wealth comes with a heavy awareness. What happens to a fortune if it remains isolated and still? Editor: That's a fascinating point. The tree stump almost serves as a grave marker, reinforcing a theme of buried hopes. Curator: It's a potent image meant for the gaze of children; by visually suggesting the futility of greed and isolation, it reminds us to examine cultural stories we consume. Does this make you view the artwork differently now? Editor: Definitely! I came in expecting just a historical depiction but now see it’s layered with messages. Curator: These objects echo deeper within than what initially meets the eye; in many ways they become a type of collective reflection on the meaning of our shared cultures.