Miniature porringer 1685 - 1715

This miniature porringer was crafted by I.S. from agate and silver. Look at its diminutive size and refined craftsmanship, reflecting the values placed on precious materials and meticulous work. Consider the circular handles that emerge from the bowl. These seemingly simple curves are evocative of an archaic symbol known as the Ouroboros, an ancient symbol of a snake eating its own tail. The Ouroboros appears in ancient Egyptian iconography and Gnostic traditions, representing cycles of life, death, and rebirth, or the eternal return. One cannot help but consider the connection between the eternal return and the sustenance of life. The bowl, filled with nourishing food, becomes a vessel sustaining life’s cyclical journey. These intertwined concepts echo humanity’s unending quest for meaning, where psychological needs intertwine with symbolic forms across generations. The form and symbolism in this miniature porringer engage viewers on a subconscious level.