Tazza 1662 - 1722

Editor: Here we have a Chinese earthenware Tazza, crafted sometime between 1662 and 1722. It’s currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The pedestal shape and painted floral decorations feel really deliberate, almost staged. What can you tell me about the composition and decorative style of this piece? Curator: Observe the clean lines and symmetrical structure. The footed base grounds the work, offering a stable platform for the bowl. The decorative scheme unfolds as a unified whole, floral motifs circling the base, abstract geometry at the rims, and the carefully placed stylized floral bouquet contained on the plate's inner surface. How do you see the relationship between the color palette and the form? Editor: The reds and greens are certainly eye-catching against the white background, lending a vibrant, almost playful feel to what could have been a much more austere form. But those zigzagging rim patterns—do they add to, or distract from, the painted bouquets? Curator: They are working in tandem, serving as a visual bridge between the macro of the overall form and micro scale floral arrangements, using repeating triangular motifs to visually hold both. Now, consider the texture: can you imagine running your hand along the surface? Does the smoothness of the ceramic affect your interpretation? Editor: I imagine a polished surface, cool to the touch, which makes me consider the intention behind its construction. Is it simply a beautiful, crafted thing, or something more utilitarian? Curator: Precisely! Function follows form and vice versa! By studying its structure, materials, and surface treatments, we unveil this Tazza’s story. It’s more than a static vessel, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: I would. The way you describe it makes me appreciate how the artist considered the Tazza's whole form and surface as a way to invite engagement, not just present an object. Curator: Exactly, a beautiful balance is achieved within this ceramic piece through its unified construction, material quality and the considered nature of its form, an elegant demonstration.