Design for Vase 1730 - 1776

Jacques François Joseph Saly rendered this vase design with pen and brown wash, accented in red chalk. This object, seemingly a mere decorative piece, speaks volumes through its symbolic language. Note the intertwined garlands and putti: symbols of abundance and innocence, yet their presence hearkens back to ancient Roman funerary art, where similar motifs adorned tombs, promising a blissful afterlife. The vase’s mask-like face, reminiscent of ancient theatrical masks, bears a striking resemblance to the god Oceanus, its flowing beard suggestive of the ceaseless currents of time. Consider the recurring motif of the mask across cultures. From the grotesque visages of medieval gargoyles meant to ward off evil, to the serene masks of Japanese Noh theatre embodying ancestral spirits, masks serve as potent vessels of expression. They tap into our collective subconscious, channeling primal fears and hopes. In this design, the fusion of joy and mortality is emotionally stirring, reminding us that life and death are not opposing forces, but rather, intertwined passages in an endless cycle.