Although Ball Mason jars seem relatively plain, this one packs a lot of personal meaning through its purpose. It is, however, used universally for canning and preserving, and Ball jars have been around since 1884. Soon after, they became a household item. Although all Ball canning jars are glass, they come in many sizes and styles, some have jellied finishes, some the “plain” design, size ranges from 4 ounces to 64 ounces, mouths can be wide or regular, lids metal or plastic. The Ball canning process has diversified itself.
My jar exudes simplicity – it is the standard quart size, regular mouth, metal canning lid, with a plain finish. Plain, in this case, means that the glass was made with an easy measuring system in both metric and standard. For the standard measurements, every four ounces are denoted by a horizontal line which is one inch long and every eight ounces is denoted by its numeric value in addition to the line.
The ounces are displayed on the right, and the left displays the number of cups. Thus, I find this jar to be ideal for any person who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, saving someone time in the cleaning of measuring cups.
The jar stands seven inches tall and three and a half inches wide. The mouth of the jar is two and three quarter inches. The lid is made of two pieces. The sealing component is metal and sits on top of the mouth of the jar. The band twists over the seal and acts to securely close the jar. Both of the lid components are dependent on the other to properly seal the jar so that the contents stay fresh.
The band of the lid has ridges along the top portion which are visible on the inside and outside of the band. On the inside, it acts to properly seal. On the outside, it adds a bit of character to the lid and also serves as an ideal place for particles to reside, making the cleaning process less than pleasurable.
The “plain” finish has an elaborate design of a variety of fruit (pear, apple, cherries, and plum – which is disproportionately larger than the other pieces of fruit) enclosed in an oval which has an olive branch border. 
The design on this portion of the jar is evokes a taste of Tuscan living, and a culture in which food and making your own food is both common and a treasured way of life. The design alludes to the main purpose of the jar: practicality in the kitchen.
Despite the (what I find) appealing appearance of the design of the fruits, the jar holds a practical purpose – namely, keeping food fresh. My family has traditionally used this style of jar for making cracked Sicilian olives, and it is containing an nominal amount of said olives that the jar entered my home. In addition to the nostalgic feeling it evokes of my family canning activities, it is also an icon of my present activities. Over the past year or so, the jar returned from retirement and has traversed many miles since its first arrival to my home some five to ten years ago. Almost weekly, the jar accompanies me to work (a goat dairy) where it is then filled with fresh milk. The Ball Mason jar is iconic at the farm, although quart sized aren’t as popular as the half gallon in more recent months. Since the milk is raw, a canning jar is quite ideal for retaining freshness, especially when using the metal lids and bands instead of plastic lids. Additionally, the material of both the jar and the lid (glass and metal, respectively), appeal to people concerned with their carbon footprint and amount of waste they dispose of. Being able to reuse the jar, even from one purpose to another, like canning to storing, saves both money and resources. I believe this attribute appeals to people who are more prone to like simple and back-to-basic items. Therefore, the design, or one could possibly argue the lack thereof, also serves as a marketing tool to people of a certain mindset. 
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
I really appreciate the way you have blended the Mason jar’s rather practical functions with its unique potential. Lately it seems that Mason jars have experiences something of a resurgence, with all sorts of people seizing on just the sort of utilitarian features you describe, i.e. doubling as a measuring cup, keeping things fresh, etc. Because they are becoming so common, it is easy to tune them out, so to speak, and to evaluate them based on their usefulness alone. Yet, as you wonderfully point out, there is not only a beauty to be found in the form of the jar itself (the connection you draw between the fruit on the side of the jar and Tuscany living is incredibly evocative), but also a beauty in the memories which are attached to these jars which make them worthy of inspection. This post really captures why we should stop and (re)consider the objects in our life.
I like how you took an ordinary object that can be seen in almost everybody’s kitchen and made it your own! Working at a goat farm seems like an amazing experience. I like how you described the intricate details and then when on to say that they make “the cleaning process less than pleasurable.”