Bouquet 1755 - 1765

Editor: This dainty sculpture, “Bouquet,” was crafted by the Saint James’s Factory somewhere between 1755 and 1765. It's made of porcelain, currently resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it strikes me as incredibly delicate. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a little explosion of joy, wouldn’t you say? These ceramic flowers reach towards the light. Notice the incredible attention to detail – the subtle pink spots on each petal, the delicate curve of the butterfly perched on top. I think there's a hidden playfulness here, a bit of wit amongst all that decorative artistry. Don't you feel like you can almost smell the perfume wafting from those porcelain petals? It transports me to an elegant 18th-century garden party. Can you imagine its original owner, carefully displaying this treasure? Editor: Absolutely, its beauty seems preserved despite its age. So, what purpose did it serve? Curator: That’s the delightful part. These porcelain bouquets were often created as containers for perfumes or aromatic oils! Function met flamboyant artistry head-on. A beautiful reminder that even everyday objects could become works of art and sources of beauty. Editor: That's unexpected! I suppose they took their perfume seriously. This makes me see the butterfly topper differently - I’d foolishly just thought of it as decorative. Now I’m wondering if it symbolized scent, fragility, transformation or all three. Thanks for offering this deeper appreciation. Curator: My pleasure. Sometimes, the tiniest, most frivolous things speak volumes, don’t they? It reminds us that beauty itself can be profound.