Schotel met radiaalsgewijs lijnendecor in geel en zwart op crème fond c. 1925

Curator: Take a moment to look at this ceramic dish, a beautiful example of Dutch Art Deco. It dates from around 1925 and was crafted at the Plateelbakkerij Ram workshop. The title translates to “Dish with Radially Arranged Lines in Yellow and Black on a Cream Background.” Editor: Oh, interesting. Immediately, it feels like a solar eclipse, almost... that dark ring with those bursts of energy radiating outwards. Clean lines, graphic, really striking against that muted background. Curator: Precisely. And those lines are not just haphazard; they showcase the era's obsession with geometry. It feels dynamic, but in a very controlled, almost industrial way. Considering its function, how do you think the artists' choice of production aligns to ideas about decorative art being for everyday life? Editor: Well, ceramics already blur the lines between "art" and "utility", don't they? Here, it is fascinating because while mass production allowed pieces like this to enter many homes, that geometric precision reflects a mechanized aesthetic—fitting for a world grappling with industrial advancements and also new ways of viewing space, matter, production in an era of unprecedented technological advancement. A table plate is not only for eating; it is an aspiration of middle class society. Curator: Indeed. There’s a sense of accessibility combined with high design. The materials themselves – the clay, the glazes – become agents of modernism. I think that even without knowing the period it was produced, it screams the era. It gives off such bold presence despite being such a minimal design! Editor: It's funny, isn’t it? How something designed for such mundane purposes—a dish—can also be such a powerful visual statement. It definitely captures that moment in time where even the everyday objects wanted to dream of being modern, and in reach of ordinary lives. It reminds you that material culture is far from passive or without symbolic values. Curator: Exactly. Thinking about it, I would be tempted to get something of this spirit again. A touch of functional art, for your soup, is indeed an exciting invitation. Editor: And a good conversation starter, indeed. An amazing time capsule right on our tables.