Tray, from the Tea Service "Saxonia" 1904

Curator: This is a tray from the "Saxonia" tea service, crafted by Otto Eduard Voigt. The piece, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums, is approximately 47 centimeters wide. Editor: Oh, the serenity! It feels like a quiet morning reflected in porcelain. Those swirling lines... like a gentle breeze caught in a teacup. Curator: Voigt really captures the Art Nouveau spirit here. Note the stylized, organic forms and the emphasis on flowing lines, what some might even call whiplash curves. Editor: Yes! The eye travels endlessly. It's not just a tray; it’s a landscape for your Earl Grey, a little stage for the ritual of tea. Curator: Precisely. And the restrained palette of white, gray, and blue adds to the overall sense of refined elegance. It speaks to a specific moment in design history. Editor: A moment when even the mundane became poetry. I find myself almost reluctant to disturb its stillness with actual tea. Curator: It's an object that elevates everyday life, a quiet assertion of beauty. Editor: A reminder that even the simplest rituals deserve a touch of the sublime.