Antique Lidded Vase with Two Handles emerging from the Heads of Hybrid Female Sphinxes, from Vases after the Antique 1543 - 1573

Editor: This engraving by Enea Vico, created between 1543 and 1573, depicts an ornate lidded vase with sphinx-like handles. It’s brimming with decorative details, creating a rather fantastical feel, almost like something from a dream. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating how Vico recreates a classical vase, loading it with potent imagery. Notice the hybrid sphinxes – female heads atop powerful animal bodies. This combination speaks to a complex relationship between intellect, beauty, and primal instinct. Can you see the masks? Editor: Yes, just below the sphinxes and above the festoons of leaves and flowers. What does the mask refer to here? Curator: The masks introduce the idea of transformation, performance, or even hidden identity. Consider the vase itself; it’s not merely a vessel but a symbol of containment. It is a cultural artifact, yes, but it holds not just liquid, but layers of meaning inherited from its source object: the Antique. Do you observe how that phrase and a pseudo-signature are presented, carved onto a tablet at the base? It’s like a rediscovered relic, almost unearthed! How does all of that speak to you? Editor: I see, it’s as though Vico isn't simply depicting an object but reinterpreting a cultural memory. He uses symbolic language to evoke a lost world, filtered through the lens of the Renaissance. The layers build a fascinating impression of something ancient, precious, and powerful. Curator: Precisely. Vico masterfully weaves together classical motifs and Mannerist sensibilities, inviting us to contemplate the enduring power of symbols across time. Editor: It’s incredible how much narrative is packed into what I initially saw as just a decorative object. I see now how it connects us to cultural roots! Curator: Indeed, art allows us to participate in a very ancient symbolic dialogue that continues even today.