Sauskom in schelpvorm met drie pootjes en oor 1767

This shell-shaped sauce boat, crafted in silver by Hendrik Fortman, features three legs and a handle. The shell form itself is steeped in history. The veneration of the shell goes back millennia. Think of Botticelli’s Venus, born from a scallop shell, the symbol of love and beauty. But earlier still, we find its echo in ancient pilgrimage traditions, where the scallop shell signified a journey, a rebirth. The vessel is raised on small, ornamented feet – a motif reminiscent of classical antiquity, where decorative feet elevated objects to sacred status. The handle, sculpted with fluid lines and leaf-like flourishes, represents the continuous cycle of growth and renewal, a reflection of nature’s enduring power. Consider how this simple sauce boat encapsulates a wealth of cultural memory. The shell, a symbol of birth, pilgrimage, and beauty, resurfaces in new forms, adapting to different contexts, yet retaining its primal power to evoke emotion and stir the subconscious.