Cover or stand 1700 - 1715

This silver cover or stand, crafted by Johann Christoph Hünning I, presents a study in form and function. Notice the three spherical feet upon which it rests, these spheres are not merely structural; they echo forms found across cultures and epochs. The sphere, a symbol of completeness and unity, appears in ancient cosmological models and reappears in Renaissance depictions of the cosmos. It evokes a sense of balance, and equilibrium and the perfect symmetry which transcends its material presence. Consider the psychoanalytic implications: the sphere, like the circle, taps into our collective unconscious, representing wholeness. This primal form, reappearing across cultures and time, serves as a reminder of our shared human experience. The sphere is a symbol of the eternal return, forever present and perpetually evolving in meaning.