Mand 1772

This silver 'Mand' was crafted by Johannes Horstman, its delicate form adorned with floral motifs. Flowers, universally symbols of beauty and ephemerality, here speak to the transience of life itself. Yet, they're rendered in silver, a material of enduring value, thus creating a compelling dialectic between the fleeting and the permanent. We can see such motifs repeated across history, from ancient Roman frescoes to Renaissance tapestries. Consider, for instance, the 'memento mori' tradition, where flowers alongside skulls remind us of our mortality. This symbolic language taps into a deep, subconscious awareness of life's cyclical nature. Notice how this silverwork engages us on a visceral level, stimulating reflections on mortality, beauty, and the relentless march of time. It is a potent reminder that symbols, like cultural memories, never truly vanish; they merely transform, resurfacing in new forms across generations.