Chestnut Flask c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have a curious object from the Minneapolis Institute of Art, an anonymous “Chestnut Flask” dating to around the 19th century. It looks to be crafted from either ceramic or glass. What I find striking is its almost organic shape and color, resembling… well, a chestnut! What catches your eye about it? Curator: You're spot on, that lovely olive hue really speaks! It’s more than just color; it’s a story in a bottle, or flask as it were! The vertical ribbing, for me, echoes the segmented shell of the chestnut and other gourds. And let’s imagine the world in which this was created. These were humble, functional pieces – think pocket-sized comfort and yes, maybe something a little stronger than water. The beauty arises from a desire to make utilitarian wares attractive and desirable. Editor: That makes me think, could the ribbing also make it easier to grip? Function and form working together. Curator: Exactly! Function gives birth to form, or perhaps the other way around? *laugh* But you also get the interesting distortions within the glass, it creates the effect that what’s inside is alive. I like to think of some homesick pioneer carrying it and thinking of home. Now, that may be overly romanticizing this object… Editor: Not at all, it’s about making connections! It does humanize it a little. Curator: Indeed. It's a piece that reminds us beauty exists where we least expect it. Plus, it can make you stop and wonder: what stories would this vessel tell if it could talk? Editor: It certainly brings an old era into clearer focus, like a glimpse into the everyday life of the past. Curator: And art, after all, should reflect on more than art, otherwise we are caught in a closed circle of our own invention. Editor: Thanks, that makes me look at this piece with completely different eyes now!