Mug 1837 - 1845

This mug was made by Isaac Spiegel, circa 1870, out of glazed earthenware. It is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The vessel's body presents itself as a gnarled tree trunk, its rough texture emphasized by a deep brown glaze, pooling and streaking to mimic natural imperfections. Attached to this trunk is a grotesque mask of a bearded man, possibly a satyr from classical mythology, complete with vines and fruit intertwined in his hair. The piece engages in a semiotic interplay between nature and culture. The tree-trunk form and satyr allude to the untamed wilderness, while the crafted glaze and practical function represent human artifice and control. This tension is further highlighted by the mug's utilitarian design, which clashes with the wild, Dionysian imagery. The mug destabilizes conventional ideas about nature, beauty, and civilization by merging them into a single object. The choice of earthenware grounds the mug in materiality, yet the rich glaze elevates it beyond mere function.