Sheet with overall zigzag pattern 1800 - 1900

This anonymous work presents an overall zigzag pattern on a sheet, a motif echoing through art history. The zigzag, a symbol as ancient as humanity itself, first appears in Neolithic pottery, evoking the rhythmic pulse of water or the jagged peaks of mountains. Across cultures, it embodies energy, movement, and the dualities of existence. Think of the serpent, shedding its skin, forever reborn in a dance of destruction and renewal. Consider how this symbol reappears in the Geometric period of ancient Greece or the textiles of pre-Columbian America. In each instance, the zigzag transcends mere decoration, resonating with deeper layers of meaning, from warding off evil spirits to embodying ancestral power. This simple yet profound motif, so deeply ingrained in our collective memory, creates an emotional connection, a reminder of the cyclical nature of life, a symbol continuously reborn.