Silver Tankard c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Hans Westendorff's "Silver Tankard," a drawing of, well, a silver tankard, created around 1936. The depiction feels very precise and clean. There's something inherently regal about it. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Regal is a great word. Immediately, I think of ceremony, perhaps even ritual. Consider the shield emblazoned on the front, almost like a family crest. The precision is striking; you see it most evidently in the texture, creating this illusion of light reflecting off metal. Do you notice that sense of cool, tactile experience too? Editor: I do! And the almost scientific precision makes me think about function too. It’s beautiful, but also…utilitarian? I wonder if it's a design for something that was actually produced? Curator: An astute observation. It leads us to imagine its potential function – what might someone drink from this? Whose hands would hold it? Perhaps a celebratory drink or quiet reflection? The drawing exists in a realm of imagined possibilities and design blueprints. And I love those initialed script letters; I imagine the hands who might raise the glass. I wonder about the person… the possibilities. Editor: So, it’s both an artwork and a potential object. Thinking about how to appreciate something’s design—it adds another layer of interpretation for me. Thank you! Curator: Absolutely. I suppose a deeper understanding arises from our engagement with possibilities as well as certainties; it sparks something personal inside us too, doesn't it?