Cream Jug 1852 - 1858

Curator: Good morning. Before us is a charming example of utilitarian art: a cream jug shaped like a cow, crafted by Daniel Greatbach sometime between 1852 and 1858. It’s currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Oh, isn’t she sweet? My first impression is just… whimsical. The rich brown and cream glaze, all splattered and dappled, makes me want a cup of coffee, right now. There's a sort of earthy elegance in its form. Curator: Absolutely. Greatbatch, a master potter, really captures a pastoral ideal. This piece, made of earthenware, highlights how functional items can embody a deep connection to nature and rural life. Editor: Right. The cow as symbol… fertility, abundance. Beyond just holding cream, it’s also bringing these very fundamental, life-affirming associations into the home, onto the breakfast table. I also see something playfully subversive here – elevating the mundane act of pouring cream to a little daily ritual, almost sacred in its own way. Curator: And I think that contrast, the everyday object imbued with symbolic weight, is precisely the magic of decorative arts. Consider the Staffordshire potteries in England at this time – they were revolutionizing production techniques, bringing art into more homes than ever before. A piece like this, reasonably priced, still brings joy and reminds us of the agrarian roots of our society. Editor: Looking closer, even the colours have layers of meaning. The deep browns are solid and dependable, yet offset by the bright creamy spots like a memory of sunlight dancing in the fields, while the upturned tail forms an elegant handle for pouring out a dairy product into our favorite beverage. It feels both solid and dreamy simultaneously! It speaks volumes of where we are. Curator: A lovely interpretation. These objects, ostensibly simple, speak to so much more than their intended use. They capture the essence of a moment in time, beliefs, aspirations, the ever-present nostalgia for a simpler way of life. Editor: Exactly. To hold a vessel shaped like a cow is to reach out to the past, feel connected to ancient rhythms of farming, food and all sorts of connections to symbols and nature that will always run deep in our psyche. In every drop of cream, you taste something beyond just a milk product.