Pewter Soup Tureen c. 1936

James O'Mara sketched this pewter soup tureen, fixing a fleeting moment in time. Observe the shell-like handles, a motif echoing across centuries, harking back to ancient Roman and Greek art where shells symbolized Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. We find the shell again and again: In Botticelli’s "Birth of Venus," the goddess emerges from a scallop shell, an emblem of birth and renewal. In Dutch still life paintings, shells signified wealth and worldly possessions. The appearance of the shell form is a constant metamorphosis of meaning. Perhaps these handles are a subtle nod to classical antiquity, or simply an aesthetic flourish. The simple form of this domestic vessel takes on layers of meaning, reflecting our collective memory, and inviting us to contemplate the cyclical nature of symbols in art.