Beakers (2) 1720 - 1727

These two beakers were produced by the Vezzi Factory in Venice in the early 18th century. At the time, Venice was at the crossroads of global trade, and porcelain, especially from China, was highly sought after. The creation of porcelain in Europe became a symbol of economic and cultural power. These beakers, made with soft-paste porcelain, are decorated with what Europeans imagined to be exotic, oriental scenes. The painted motifs - palm trees, fantastical buildings, and curious birds - reveal more about European desires and fantasies of the East than about Eastern cultures themselves. Consider the beakers as both functional objects and as vehicles for cultural projection. What do these idealized landscapes tell us about the complex relationship between Europe and the rest of the world during this period, and how do such dreams play out today?