-Art Deco Elephant- still bank c. 1930s

Curator: This captivating object before us, dating from the 1930s, is an Art Deco elephant still bank, produced by the Arcade Manufacturing Company. Editor: What strikes me first is its vibrant hue. That intense orange disrupts any expectation of the material's coldness and announces its presence so boldly. Curator: The piece, rendered in metal, embodies the streamlined aesthetic characteristic of the Art Deco era. Consider how the object serves the dual purpose of artistic expression and utilitarian function. Editor: Right, notice how its design simplifies the animal to geometric planes. This faceting introduces angularity, especially noticeable around the trunk and back. How would you analyze that visual language? Curator: I’m drawn to consider the socioeconomic factors informing the Arcade Manufacturing Company’s work, where functionality and decoration merge as they created affordable and appealing designs. The consumption and reception are central. Editor: Indeed. Now, if we examine this elephant in isolation, the color suggests fire. But the rust and mottled surfaces betray it—a sign of past lives of hard handling and weather! It hints at some story behind the object’s production and circulation. Curator: Definitely. It’s compelling how these "still banks," popular during the period, incentivized savings—linking everyday activities to broader ideals, revealing both production values and consumer appeal. Editor: The scale suggests personal ownership, its presence both playful and pedagogical, alluding both to value and decorum. Its form captures both a historical era, and that bygone appeal that we can still connect with today. Curator: Yes, an understanding of production and context really can unlock many ways to appreciate an art object such as this. Editor: Agreed, together the surface and form capture so much in one glance. The Deco lines certainly deliver something more than just metal and geometry!