Kast met spiegel after 1878

This print showcases a 'kast met spiegel,' or cabinet with a mirror, rendered by an anonymous hand. The mirror, prominently featured, has long served as more than a mere reflective surface. Consider the classical myth of Narcissus, fixated on his reflection, a symbol of vanity but also self-awareness. This piece integrates the mirror not just for practical use, but as a portal to the self, framed within a structure reminiscent of both domesticity and display. The geometric patterns, bordering the cabinet door, are decorative yet have deeper roots in ornamentation. Such motifs echo across cultures, from the tiled arabesques of Moorish Spain to the geometric precision of ancient Greek friezes. This cabinet becomes a vessel not just for belongings, but for collective memories, continually resurfacing in our shared visual language. The reflection it offers is not just of the individual, but of a collective past, an ongoing dialogue between what was, what is, and what might be.