Museum Essay #2

Greek, Eastern Mediterranean
Core-formed glass. H: 2 1/2"
Late 6th-5th century B.C.E.
This is a tiny, 3D glass vessel. The entire piece is dark blue with sections of yellow. Starting from the top, there is an opening outlined in yellow. As you go down the neck, there are two yellow handles on both sides. There is a spherical base in the middle with three, yellow, horizontal lines at the widest point. These lines suggest calmness. The vessel tapers to about 1/4" wide and is painted yellow. The colors present, blue and yellow, are both primary and complementary. The positive space is the vessel and negative being the openings in the handles, the inside, and all the space around it. If you were to touch this, it would be mostly smooth with flecks of paint on the base.

Peru, Wari culture

Camelid hair, cotton

H: 4 7/8" x W: 6 7/8"7th-9th century

On this side of the 3D, four-cornered hat, there is a diamond shape touching the top and bottom. Inside the diamond are twelve squares surrounding the edges. They are broken up into two groups that share colors diagonally. On the top right and bottom left, the squares are outlined in brown with yellow insides and a dot of red in the middle. The second group, top left and bottom right, are outlined in red with light blue insides and a dot of dark blue in the middle. Two of these squares, closest to the left side, are outlined in brown. Surrounding the squares diagonally are sections of purple, green, white, yellow and red. In the center, there is a smaller diamond outlined in red containing light and dark blues in a checkerboard pattern. To the left of the larger diamond, there is an area with a green background. There are six bordering squares containing light and dark blues, red, yellow, brown and white. On the right, the background is dark blue and contains another six squares in the same pattern. The same colors are used in different areas to make up the squares. At the top, there is a dark blue frame with a yellow square directly in the center. All four corners are built up with red, horn-like shapes. The most apparent colors, red, yellow and blue are primary. There are diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines which imply action and eye movement, calmness and assertive all at once. If this were touched, it would be coarse.

Paris, France
Maker: François Pirmet | Goldsmith: Antoine-Modeste Fournera
Hunting Sword of Prince Camillo Borghese
Silver-gilt, steel, leather, mother-of-pearl
H: 27" x W: 4 5/8" (cross guard)
1809-13

Starting from the bottom of this silver, black and white, 3D sword is the tip of the case. It is silver with a flat bottom. Directly above is a black band with equally spaced, silver stars. The next section has etchings of a deer head with antlers, plant life, and unidentifiable filigree designs. A majority of the case is encased in black leather. There is another silver section with more similar designs near the handle. On the cross guard, there are two dogs with closed mouths on both sides. At the top, the grip appears white from the pearl and has an assertive, vertical line in the middle. There is one more final area of silver etchings at the top that contains a deer in mid jump. The texture of the 
leather would be rough, and the silver etchings would be bumpy.

Thebes, Upper Egypt

Wood and paint

H: 9 1/16" x W: 7 3/16"

ca. 924–889 B.C.E.

The bottom third of this tombstone-shaped slab has three bands of white, separated by blue lines. There are black hieroglyphics inside each section extending to both sides. There is a red line above the top section. The top two-thirds has a yellow background. There is a blue, representational person with black hair and red bands around the legs stretching around the edges of the top section. Directly underneath, there are green, outstretched wings. There are sections of blue on both sides of the top half with red rectangular shapes on the edges. In the center of the wings, there is a circle of red. There are white bars of more hieroglyphs under the wings, partially hidden. There are four more people standing in a line underneath the symbols, facing the middle. They are separated in groups of two by a skinny, green table that has a single flower on top of it. To the left of the first person are two towers of red, green and blue squares. The one on the right is touching the ground, unlike the left that abruptly ends in the air. There is a blue, semi-circle sitting on top of the two. The first two people have green skin and red dresses. The first has long, black hair and is touching the second person. The second has a tall, white hat and is holding some sort of staff. The third also has red clothing; a halter top and a red skirt with a section of green on the left. Instead of a head, this person has a blue, bird-like animal on the shoulders and is also touching the second person. The third person has black hair and is wearing a white dress with six vertical lines and one horizontal near the bottom. This person is holding hands with the third, has something red in their left hand, and a green onion-shaped object is on the top of the head. The prominent colors, red, yellow and blue, are primary. The texture would probably be rough.

Southern Germany
Carved, gilded and painted pinewood, gilt-bronze
H: 33" x W: 52 1/2" x D: 22 1/4"
ca. 1740-50

On the top of this table, there is a slab of light brown marble. The entire piece is white with gold, baroque-style detailing. The front features two white drawers, which are protruding out more in the middle than on the sides. They are outlined in gold and feature matching gold filigree detailing. Both drawers have decorative keyholes in the middle, and one handle on each side. Below the drawers is a piece of gold, cut-out detail which dips down in the middle and follows the shape of the drawers. The legs are white, and matching, with more gold detailing. At the top of the legs, there is a dip in the wood. They come back out, at some points not touching the table. The legs meet the table again, and continue to taper downward. Near the floor, the legs curl up. Underneath, there is a small, cylinder-shaped piece that keeps the table stabilized. This piece of furniture would feel smooth on the top and white areas, and bumpy on the details.

I think these items are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art because they are extraordinary versions of ordinary objects. They tell a story of humanity spanning through time and regions. These artworks are a celebration of mankind and our creative endeavors.