Covered box c. 2003

Miyamura Hideaki created this covered box, its body swelling like a seed, from ceramic. A spiral evokes both a handle and the ordered structure of a pagoda. Notice how the egg-like form echoes the ancient symbolism of fertility and potential. Across cultures, the egg represents new beginnings and the cyclical nature of life. We find it in ancient Roman sarcophagi and Renaissance paintings. Consider the spiral atop the lid. It’s a motif that has wound its way through art history, seen from the uncoiling energy of a serpent in ancient Greece to the quiet introspection of a snail shell in Dutch still life. This symbol is far from linear, it curls back on itself, creating a cyclical visual. The image speaks to our collective memory, awakening a deep, subconscious understanding of nature's rhythms. It’s a reminder that these symbols, like life itself, are constantly reborn, their meanings echoing through the corridors of time.