Meret Oppenheim’s fur cup is a very intriguing creation. It is a small plate, a spoon and a tea cup, pretty normal right? Wrong, these utensils are covered with what appears to be the fur of a whitetail deer. It is quite the contraption; it must have taken a lot of time and effort to hide the numerous seams so eloquently. The teacup and spoon sit atop the plate, carefully placed to show the brilliant craftsmanship.There are several elements to this work of art, for instance the combination of delicate glassware and the skin of a wild, free, beautiful animal is simply ravishing. The display is so versatile; it could fit right in amongst a china cabinet or in a hunting lodge. Although there is no real purpose to this piece, it clearly could go almost anywhere. The principles of this design are those of thought, care, and intellect. The cup and spoon are carefully placed upon the plate.
There are many different interpretations and ideas that can come from this piece. My initial thoughts lead me to believe that; first, we cannot forget where we come from. Or in other words, we cannot forget that before we were able to have delicacies we had to work for everything. Essentially what I am trying to say here is that we cannot take for granted the luxuries we have in life. Secondly, I believe that we should respect different thoughts, opinions, and beliefs of others. Some people are not fond of the upper class and all the luxuries they get to indulge in, while others seem to hate the thought of killing an innocent animal. Through this piece of artwork, we can maybe take a step back and realize that everyone has their own beliefs and that although we may not agree with them, we must respect them.
I think I like your interpretation on Oppenhiem's fury cup a lot better then mine. I really did not understand it, nor do I think I'll ever understand it, but I agree with you on that it is a combination of intellect and freedom. I do not like to think too deeply into it because it is such a bizarre image, however, it might also mean that Oppenhiem himself just does not like the sport of hunting because it comes at a large price by killing an innocent animal and the reward is almost nothing, which is represented by the small tea cup. This probably is not true at all but it's a thought.
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