Waste Bowl 1794 - 1804

This silver Waste Bowl was created by John McMullin around the turn of the 19th century. Look closely and you’ll see a garland of flowers and foliage interrupted by circular medallions, each framing a stylized four-petal flower. The flower, a universal symbol of life, death, and rebirth, transcends cultures and epochs. Here, on this bowl, it's presented with an ordered symmetry reminiscent of ancient Near Eastern motifs, yet it also carries echoes of the burgeoning naturalism of the Enlightenment. Consider the lotus in ancient Egyptian art, reborn each dawn, or the rose in medieval Christian symbolism, embodying divine love and grace. Such floral motifs, seen across time, suggest an innate human desire to find order, beauty, and meaning in the natural world. This Bowl resonates with these collective memories, transforming a simple household object into a testament to our enduring connection to the past.