Bowl 1899

Curator: Here we have a bronze bowl by Alexandre-Louis-Marie Charpentier, created in 1899. The artwork resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It strikes me immediately as quite intimate and domestic. A small, unassuming object memorializing what appears to be a baby. The bronze is dark and seems quite smooth, a cool, reflective surface that makes the form legible. Curator: Absolutely, there's a tender quality about it. What we're seeing is a commemorative object. "Colette" is inscribed at the top, and underneath the portrait, we see "10 Juillet 1899"—July 10th, 1899. So we can infer this marks a specific day tied to this child. It almost mimics the style of Roman portraiture on coins. Editor: The fact that it's a bowl does make it more complex. Is it meant for everyday use? Would the owner really eat from a dish bearing this likeness, or is its function purely decorative, designed as a show of affection rather than pure functionality? Curator: It certainly exists within the realm of decorative arts, aligning with the aesthetics of the Art Nouveau movement that was ascendant in Europe. Considering the period's obsession with portraiture and immortalizing subjects in both paint and sculpture, it isn’t surprising someone would craft such an object for the home. Editor: Yes, the private display of public emotions. It reveals the social currency tied up in acknowledging birth, recognizing a family lineage in decorative items that served a constant, intimate purpose. The Bowl’s inscription of Colette’s name acts almost as a ward, creating an image that can both mark and defend its home through recognition. Curator: Right, it speaks to this tradition, doesn't it? A fusion of personal memento and functional design within a specific aesthetic. Its purpose transcends the purely practical to inhabit the sphere of memory, belonging, and perhaps even familial ritual. Editor: Exactly. Charpentier’s artwork makes me wonder what happened to Colette? Did this child grow up? Did their family eat using this bowl? I think there's a certain emotional truth etched in this object, one that begs further consideration.