Thinking design from the outside in - Essay Example

al attention or techniques that might have added value to the finished result; or perhaps points to the value in terms of discovering or inventing new techniques for further study. Knowledge of the degree of expertise involved in the making of the object also lends a degree of value to the finished product. However, the design must also be understood from within its museum context. This includes consideration of whether the museum is working to highlight a particular characteristic or illustrate a noteworthy period in history or design.

To more fully understand what is meant by socio-cultural, economic, technological and museum contexts, this paper will closely examine a decanter created by William Burges in 1865-66 that is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In terms of its socio-cultural context, this decanter captures the opulence and elaborate detail of the later Victorian period in which a great deal of the artwork designed represented a return to some of the more ornate Gothic styles of the past. Although speaking of architectural elements, Brett Ketter’s definition of the Victorian Gothic is equally applicable to this piece: “The characteristic feature of Victorian Gothic is its polychromy, in which materials of different colors and textures are used to create decorative bands … different materials are used as well” (2001).

In its use of several varieties of metals and glassware to present differing colors and textures as well as the use of gemstones and other materials to provide decorative elements, this decanter certainly typifies this definition sufficiently to reflect this culture. Further, the illustrative details of the piece, including the Greek and Roman coins and Roman font-style used in the engraving throughout the piece denote the deep connection to England’s past. “Burges looked to the arts of China, Assyria, ancient Greece and Rome, and medieval Europe as inspiration for the design” (Eatwell, 1997, p.