Ewer 19th century

This gilded Ewer, crafted by Franchi and Son, presents a fascinating confluence of symbolic forms. Observe the handle, shaped like a sinuous dragon, a motif of power, protection, and good fortune across many Eastern cultures. Dragons have slithered through the collective consciousness since ancient times. You see echoes of this figure in Mesopotamian iconography, where dragons guard temples, and, in the form of the Leviathan, a primordial force of chaos and order, reflecting our primal fears and fascination with the unknown. The dragon here, tamed into a domestic object, hints at our impulse to harness such powerful forces. In the curves of the handle, do we see the echoes of ancient fears transformed into symbols of status and sophistication? Notice how the vessel itself is adorned with vegetal motifs, suggesting life, growth, and abundance, echoing the dragon's promise of prosperity. This ewer is not merely a vessel, but a potent symbol of our enduring relationship with the symbols that populate our cultural memory.