Adam Smith´s Amphorae

This wall-mounted glass work by Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg brings together 27 amphora-like forms in black, gold, and transparent glass. Arranged in a grid and suspended within a brass frame, the vessels recall ancient containers once used for trade.

Adam Smith
The artwork is named after – and draws inspiration from – Adam Smith, the 18th-century Scottish economist and philosopher best known for his influential work The Wealth of Nations. Smith believed that when individuals act in their own interest (starting a business, inventing a product) they often end up benefiting society as a whole.

Smith trusted in the power of the market. Instead of having the state control the economy in detail (as many believed at the time), Smith argued that if people were given the freedom to choose and compete, society as a whole would become wealthier and more prosperous.

But Smith also had a sharp eye for the system’s flaws. He criticized both government authorities and business owners. While he trusted markets, he wasn’t blind to their risks. The success of capitalism has depended on both intellect and labor—on creativity paired with hard physical work. Its consequences span from immense wealth to devastating poverty, and all shades in between.

Smith was both a realist and an optimist. He acknowledged human self-interest, but he also believed in people's ability to come together and create something greater—without requiring a central authority to control everything.

Adam Smith’s Amphorae holds this tension. The vessels vary in size and transparency, echoing the uneven outcomes of global capitalism—its wealth and innovation, but also its imbalance and inequality. Some amphorae seem to glow; others recede into shadow. 

Amphorae
The amphora is a form with deep roots in history. Used across the Mediterranean and beyond for thousands of years, amphorae were practical objects for transporting goods like wine and oil. Their two handles and pointed bases made them easy to carry and store. In archaeology, they are also markers of trans-national trade and movement of both people and goods.

The artists
Philip Baldwin (b. 1947, USA) and Monica Guggisberg (b. 1955, Switzerland) have been working together for over 40 years. Their practice brings together two strong glassmaking traditions: a Swedish technique called overlay (a method of creating multi-layered glass objects where a colored layer is applied on top of another layer, often of a different color) and the Italian battuto method (a cold-working technique where a grinding wheel is used to create irregular, overlapping patterns on the glass surface, resulting in a textured, "beaten metal" effect) – the combination resulting in a distinct and refined visual language.

Sweden has always held a special place for the duo—both personally and artistically. Their journey began in 1979 at the Orrefors Glass School, and Nordic minimalism continues to influence their practice to this day.

Philip Baldwin & Monica Guggisberg
Adam Smith's Amphorae, 2025
Blown and cut glass, gold leaf, metal, brass frame, mounted

Donation by: Dan T. Sehlberg, Gustav Bard, Filippa Lindström, Carl Hirsch, Stefan Hellberg, Sebastian Alexandersson, Eirik Winter, Jon Åsberg

Arranged by Galleri Glas, Nybrogatan 34, Stockholm.