Ontwerp voor bord van het model ‘Square’ met zes ganzen c. 1875 - 1880

Albert-Louis Dammouse created this design for a ‘Square’ model plate with six geese during a time when French artists and designers were deeply influenced by Japonism, incorporating Japanese aesthetics into their work. The placement of the geese within a square border and the use of asymmetrical natural motifs, reflects Japonisme's aesthetic principles. Dammouse's design offers a glimpse into the values and tastes of the upper middle classes, who had an interest in nature and the exotic allure of Japanese design. Here, gender intersects with class and cultural appropriation: women of the bourgeoisie would have likely used these plates, engaging with art that blended French and Japanese traditions. Such cultural exchanges are rarely neutral; they reflect a complex mix of admiration, appropriation, and power dynamics. This plate makes one wonder: what does it mean to bring nature and art into our daily lives?