Schaal, rond van vorm met in de rand geboorde gaatjes c. 1590 - 1596

Editor: So here we have a piece titled "Schaal, rond van vorm met in de rand geboorde gaatjes"—that translates to "Bowl, round in shape with holes drilled in the edge"—made around 1590. It’s currently at the Rijksmuseum. The material looks like ceramic, or maybe even bronze, something earthen anyway. There’s a simple beauty in its worn appearance, wouldn’t you say? What story do you think this humble bowl could tell? Curator: Ah, stories… I see a worn traveler, perhaps, a pilgrim's simple bowl carried through dusty roads and sun-drenched fields. It’s more than just the ceramic, you see—it's the negative space, those seemingly haphazard holes drilled around the edge, that whisper to me. Almost like constellations mapped onto a humble object. Does it suggest anything to you? A means of hanging, or something more esoteric, perhaps? Editor: I hadn't considered the holes beyond practical hanging! Maybe there's a celestial connection there, linking daily life with something greater. The coloring is so muted, like time itself has leached the vibrancy away, which just makes the form so honest. Curator: Exactly! That honesty is key. Its simplicity contrasts with the ornate sensibilities of the era; perhaps it served a monastic order or a particularly austere household. It begs questions, doesn’t it? We look for beauty in obvious grandeur, and this…this asks us to find it in the commonplace. Did it change your perception of art from this period? Editor: It really did! I tend to think of the late 16th century as gilded and opulent. This grounds it, reminds me of everyday lives. It’s a poignant reminder of beauty's subtle, unexpected forms. Curator: Precisely! Thank you.