Silver Porringer c. 1936

Here is the audio guide text about Horace Reina's "Silver Porringer". Horace Reina rendered this "Silver Porringer" as a drawing with delicate graphite lines. What strikes one immediately is how the circular form dominates the composition. The main disc of the porringer occupies the central space, exhibiting subtle gradations of tone that mimic the reflective qualities of polished metal. Reina's attention to the object's surface is meticulous, using shading to define its contours and depth. Note the additional sketch in the upper right corner, which provides precise measurements, indicative of a structuralist impulse to dissect and understand the object through a measured, almost scientific lens. This echoes a semiotic approach, where forms act as signs. The circle, often associated with unity and completeness, here takes on the function of containment and utility. Ultimately, the drawing challenges the viewer to consider the porringer not merely as a functional item but as a site of aesthetic and intellectual inquiry, prompting ongoing interpretation.