Vaas bedekt met effen groen c. 1925 - 1930

Editor: This piece, "Vaas bedekt met effen groen" or "Vase covered with plain green" was crafted by N.V. Plateelbakkerij Ram around 1925 to 1930, employing earthenware and ceramic. Its unassuming presence and simple color almost make it disappear, yet there's something calming about it. What symbolic meanings might be embedded within its form and color? Curator: It's tempting to read the muted green as a symbol of nature and tranquility, perhaps tapping into the yearning for pastoral simplicity common after periods of great upheaval like the First World War. The unadorned surface invites reflection. Consider the vessel itself. What feelings arise when you consider this piece's purpose to contain? Editor: It feels like it’s intended to hold something precious, maybe even fragile, needing protection. Is it too far-fetched to think of it as a symbolic representation of the earth itself? Curator: Not at all. Think about the cultural memory associated with vases – often connected with rituals, offering, or even the preservation of life through flowers. The "plain green" glaze is also quite interesting; it’s a conscious decision to forego elaborate ornamentation, potentially suggesting a focus on the essential. What happens if we connect it to similar simplified aesthetics prevalent at the time? Editor: That gives me a new way to look at it; maybe the artist was deliberately stripping away the excess to reveal something fundamental about form and function, connecting back to nature in its purest form. Curator: Exactly! The artist uses simplicity to make you think and imbue everyday objects with meaning. Sometimes it's less about the presence of symbolic imagery, and more about what that absence makes you feel. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way before, but this helps me consider what messages an artwork sends by what it *doesn’t* include.