Drinking Glass

Welcome to the Broken Drinking Glasses exhibit.

The fragments of what were once delicate, functional objects are now frozen in a state of disrepair. These shattered glasses, with their jagged edges and fractured surfaces, speak to the fragility inherent in everyday items. Once vessels for water, wine, or perhaps celebratory toasts, their now-broken forms are stark reminders of how easily utility can give way to ruin. The smooth transparency that once allowed light to pass effortlessly through them is now disrupted by sharp cracks and chips, creating a contrast between beauty and brokenness.

The craftsmanship behind these glasses, likely created through glassblowing or pressing techniques, reveals an artistry that goes beyond mere function. Glassblowing, in particular, required great skill, as molten glass was shaped by hand and blown into form. Each glass would have been carefully crafted to balance elegance with durability, yet despite their makers’ skill, they were no match for the passage of time, accidents, or simply the inherent brittleness of glass. The fractures in these once-flawless surfaces mark the moments when their delicate strength failed, transforming them from perfect objects of use into relics of fragility.

In their broken state, these drinking glasses take on a new form of significance. No longer functional, they now serve as metaphors for transience and the impermanence of material objects. The sharp, splintered edges capture moments of sudden impact—perhaps a dropped glass during a dinner party or an unexpected slip of the hand. What remains is not just a reminder of their former use, but a deeper reflection on the fragile nature of existence itself, where even the most solid-seeming objects can shatter in an instant.