Dish 1722 - 1723

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the almost dreamlike stillness of this porcelain dish, "Dish", made around 1722 or 1723, isn't it enchanting? Editor: Dreamlike is right. The muted tones give it this beautiful antique quality, but also a strange remove. It makes you think about its journey through time, the physical properties, and what labor was required for making it. Curator: Exactly. The decorative art from this period always seemed to yearn for something beyond utility. See how the bird isn't just a bird, it's a symbol. Perched amongst the blossoms, maybe a longing for spring? Editor: A symbol shaped by access to certain resources, trade routes, labor conditions... the high-fired porcelain itself speaks of technological advancements and access to specific materials. This wasn't made by just anyone. Curator: Oh, certainly a privileged creation. And porcelain, it's more than just clay, isn't it? There's alchemy to it. Fire turning earth into something so fine, so resonant... Editor: Alchemy that demanded specific tools, skills, division of labor. Looking closely, can you see the small imperfections? Proof that it’s handcrafted rather than mass produced, the sign of the human hand. It reveals the specific economic context. Curator: But that imperfection adds to its spirit! Makes you consider the person behind its painting, not a machine, perhaps infusing his feelings as his brush touches porcelain. It’s interesting that the artists wanted it perfect, but, happily, never truly reached it! Editor: Perhaps they strove for perfect because it was fashionable to reproduce Asian designs and techniques for western consumption. It speaks to this larger practice called Orientalism where artisans from the West imitated artworks from China and Japan. Curator: This "Dish" becomes a window. Not just to art history but into the emotional landscape, I can sit here, looking at the flowers blossoming on this ceramic and travel back centuries. Editor: It's an aesthetic object tied to global trade, class structures, production techniques—each a complex story etched into its surface. It's been thought through from different perspectives, the maker and user's point of view! Curator: That makes this dish much more substantial now. Not only the story, but to whom it might belong. A symbol of what, when put on the table? Thank you! Editor: Always a pleasure to think about how economic realities produce aesthetics.