Water glass c. 1830

Here we have a water glass, dimensions 5 1/4 x 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches, currently residing at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and made by an anonymous artist. Let’s think about anonymity for a moment: what does it mean when we don’t know who made something? It suggests a person outside the circles of power and influence—perhaps someone from a marginalized community, or even a woman, excluded from the art historical canon. This crystal glass reflects a history deeply entwined with social class. In a pre-industrial world glass making was a skilled craft and objects such as these were luxury items, symbols of wealth and status. Who owned the glass? Who was excluded from owning such a glass? What does it mean to have and to have not? Consider the countless hands involved in its creation, each one contributing to the glass's existence, and the stories of those whose labor often remains invisible. The emotional and experiential weight of such an object is a reminder of the complex layers of society.