Design for a Pitcher 1852 - 1862

This is a design for a pitcher made with pen, watercolor, and graphite on paper. It presents an intriguing array of symbols and motifs. Observe how the handle is formed by a fantastical creature, a dragon perhaps, with golden claws gripping the vessel. This blending of the animalistic and the functional echoes ancient mythological narratives, where beasts often guard sacred objects or embody powerful forces. Similar motifs can be seen in ancient Greek pottery and Renaissance-era metalwork, where handles are shaped into mythical beings, their forms evolving through time yet retaining their symbolic charge of protection and strength. Notice how the tulip motifs, repeated around the body of the pitcher, symbolize love, attachment, charity, and abundance. The repetition of such a symbol underscores its importance, suggesting a deep, perhaps subconscious, desire for emotional and spiritual fulfillment. This pitcher becomes more than just a vessel; it is a potent symbol of longing, a timeless echo resonating through the corridors of history and memory.