The story is told that Edward Steichen (co-founder along with Alfred Stieglitz of the Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession) as an experiment, once over a period of many months made a series of over 1000 exposures of a simple white cup & saucer using as many different lighting configurations. I found the idea intriguing as it challenged my lifelong belief that virtually any subject, no matter how drab or seemingly uninteresting, can be photographed to produce an attractive image. So one afternoon I spent a few hours playing with different lighting configurations making a series of exposures. This image was made using a Nikon F3 with a Nikkor AI 105mm f2.8 at f8, mounted on a tripod, on Tri-X Film. One strobe was used positioned above, to the left and slightly behind the subject, and a reflective baffle was placed in the path of the light to cast some of the light onto the white wall of the studio in which it was shot. Unfortunately none of Steichen's "Cup & Saucer" images exist today. I like to think this is how one of them may have looked.
Kevin, brillant image, wonderful story, amazing what some creator / photographers can do with self imposed challenges and assignments.
I did something similar one winter afternoon inspired by Edward Weston subjects an avocado, egg and a cotton boll and ambient light form a southern exposed picture widow.
https://fstoppers.com/photo/666341 (sorry color version)
Thanks Paul! Sorry for the late reply but I don't log in very often. You're right, nothing like a good self-imposed challenge to come up with some inspiring images. I'm always amazed at how so many of the most overlooked objects make great photographic subjects. One thing that fascinates me about photography is that you could have a thousand photographers photograph the same subject and no two photographers' interpretations would be the same. Thanks again, and keep making photos.