Washstand c. 1936

Nicholas Gorid rendered this washstand design with ink on paper sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The floral motif on the handle is particularly striking. This isn’t merely decorative; it is a symbol deeply rooted in the human psyche. Across cultures, the flower represents the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Think of the lotus in ancient Egypt, symbolizing regeneration, or the rose in Christian iconography, embodying divine love. The appearance of the flower as a handle suggests a desire to connect with these deeper, timeless themes even in the most mundane aspects of daily life. Even in our modern age, the resonance of floral symbols persists, testifying to the enduring power of archetypes embedded in our collective memory. This washstand, therefore, isn’t just furniture, but a vessel carrying the weight of centuries-old visual language.