Waxwing (one of a pair) 1741

Editor: Here we have "Waxwing (one of a pair)," created around 1741 by the Meissen Manufactory. They're ceramic figurines, almost jewel-like. I'm struck by how delicate they appear; they seem like captured moments of quiet observation. What resonates with you when you look at them? Curator: Oh, these little feathered philosophers! They're not just birds, you see, but miniature Rococo daydreams made solid. I imagine the porcelain maker, perhaps a bit bird-brained himself, striving to trap the very essence of a waxwing's curiosity in clay. Look at the tilt of their heads. Aren’t they pondering some grand, avian secret? And the foliage… that stylized nest…it’s all a delightful, if slightly absurd, confection, isn’t it? Editor: Absurd in what way? Curator: Well, think about it: Nature, carefully, exquisitely, rendered artificial. It’s a game of appearances, isn't it? A reminder that even beauty can be crafted, manipulated. A porcelain echo of the real thing, perhaps? Editor: So it’s not really about nature then? It's about artifice? Curator: Perhaps it’s about the delightful tension between the two. Think about it, Editor, they're trapped forever in this state of observation. Frozen, if you will, like moments, but what fleeting thought created this stillness and why? That to me, makes for its eternal story. Editor: That’s fascinating, a perfect, manufactured little moment. I’ll certainly be thinking about their frozen thoughts.