Jenna Gilley, Curator of Exhibitions
Ah, love is in the air– or maybe that’s just a great smell. Studies link scent as a top source of attraction between people, sometimes even more impactful than physical appearance, perhaps why humans have a long-held fascination with sweet-smelling aromas. From over 4,000 years ago, perfumes were created and worn by practically every civilization. Whether it be incense, fragrance from lilies on the Nile’s banks, or glandular oils produced by the musk deer (yes, that is where “musk” originated), scent plays a key role in performing rituals, masking the odors of everyday life, and, of course, the art of seduction.
As scents on their own don’t last very long, methods for perfume transportation and storage were devised. Glass proved to be the perfect container because of its inert chemical properties and impermeable surface. Therefore, some of the earliest glass vessels ever made were perfume bottles. These small items of decorative indulgence featured vibrant colors and intricate feathered patterns in the ancient world. Developments which advanced the delicate art form’s beauty included glass blowing (Roman Empire, first century B.C.); clear, or cristallo, glass (Venice, 15th century); and gilding and enameling (England, mid-18th century). The tiny perfume bottle became a vehicle for intricate sculpture. Over time, designers began to engineer subjects and patterns that convyed the unique essences held within, further enriching the experience of owning and collecting.
As we know, the perfume bottle continued into the modern era. Many artists of the American Studio Glass movement, which began in 1962 in the Midwest, turned to the object as both a sellable and experimental design item as they learned to hone their craft. These artists included Brent Kee Young.
Brent Kee Young was born in Los Angeles in 1946. His father was an actor, best known for his role as the Cartwrights’ cook on the long-running Bonanza series. Brent Kee Young studied ceramics at San Jose State University and planned to pursue a master’s in the same field, yet his studio work in glass is attributed to his acceptance. He received his degree in 1973, and proceeded to head the newly formed Glass Department of the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA).
Young is no stranger to the FWMoA. We held a solo exhibition of his work in 2017– but it looked a little different from the object featured in today’s post. While Young is recognized for his large pieces of clear, flameworked glass, his first experiments consisted of heavily gathered blown works that resemble cross-sections of sea bedrock. This “Fossil” series began in the late 1970s. Three-dimensional fossil-like inclusions were pressed into the surface, leaving behind a negative trace. Just like real fossils, the images depicted are just impressions of what was once there.
This particular stunning example features a fish skeleton, snail shells, and worm pathways created in a sandy beige with dark brown, teal, and purple details. Young’s fascination with color was born from the land, rather than the palette typically popular with glass workers, creating earth-tones using a combination of colored glasses with oxides of copper for a base. As cryptically stated on Young’s website, a “particular atmospheric condition during the making allowed for the colors to emerge” (perhaps Young doesn’t want to give away all his secrets). His later flameworked sculptures also relied on innovation, as the previously minute artform of flameworking was developed to work on a larger scale. On his diverse range of work, Young states, “My work speaks of many things… of a respect for things natural; of ambiguity in space, form, volume, time and images that are not there. It speaks of . . . man’s marks, nature’s marks, and their relation [to one another].”
But I know what you’re thinking, that bottle is HUGE! What makes this a perfume bottle, and not just another container or fine art sculpture? Well, the answer is a little tricky. While several other examples held in the FWMoA’s collection could have definitely served as functional scent vessels, the scale and weight of this piece suggests that Young is likely not intending it for actual use. Instead, he is drawing from the deep history of glass and perfume to make a fine artwork– rendering a utilitarian object useless. The perfume bottle suggests timelessness and luxury, as the name Colored Treasure also suggests. The lack of smell within the bottle confirms that this piece was made and purchased for its artistry rather than function. Perhaps this is for the best; I can’t imagine what a fish-fossil inspired scent would smell like!
Despite this, there are some elements to this sculpture that reference its origins. The piece consists of a bottle and stopper, suggesting a container. The stopper is also fixed with a dabber, or glass rod that reaches into the bottle, to pull out the scent and apply it to the user’s skin (note the short length here prevents its actual use). Often, this component is sandblasted to provide a more porous surface for the fragrance to adhere to.
Whether functional or stand alone works of beauty, these unique objects are brimming with artistry. They serve as an important link between glass’s long history and the contemporary Studio Glass movement.
The next time you visit the FWMoA, take a peek into our decorative arts alcove to view this work, along with 17 other stunning examples, in the museum’s new ongoing display The Essence of Design: Contemporary Perfume Bottles. Most of these works were donated to the museum in 2023 by Edwin J. Simon in loving memory of his wife, Helene Lazar Simon.