Zilveren schalen en kommen in het Boulaq Museum in Caïro, Egypte before 1871

Hippolyte Délié captured these silver bowls and dishes at the Boulaq Museum in Cairo. This photograph is a study in contrasts between geometric forms and subtle tonal variations. The composition arranges the objects on layered blocks, emphasizing their shapes. The grouping of the objects invites us to consider the relationship between form and function. The bowls and dishes are presented as archetypes of domestic objects stripped of their everyday utility, and elevated to objects of formal contemplation. The neutral palette and even lighting flattens depth and texture, reducing each piece to its most essential form. This flattening, in turn, prompts a dialogue about representation and reality. The circular forms of the bowls and dishes, arranged in a grid-like fashion, create a semiotic system that underscores the act of seeing and knowing, challenging our perception and prompting us to look beyond the surface.