10-jarig Bestaan van de Bijzondere Vrijwillige Landstorm 1928

Editor: Here we have "10-jarig Bestaan van de Bijzondere Vrijwillige Landstorm," which translates to the 10-year anniversary of the Special Volunteer Landstorm, created by August Falise in 1928. It seems to be a ceramic piece, like Delftware. It depicts a soldier, rifle in hand. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: The plate vibrates with a certain symbolic tension. Delftware often evokes tradition, domesticity, and national pride. Yet here we have a soldier, seemingly an ordinary man, armed. What do you make of that contrast? Editor: It's unexpected! The typical Delftware imagery is landscapes or windmills, not military figures. It does makes me wonder, who exactly were these volunteer soldiers? Curator: Precisely! This piece acts as a cultural memory. The Landstorm was a reserve force, intended for national defense, comprised of everyday citizens. Falise uses that recognizable Delftware aesthetic to ennoble the common man taking up arms. Note also how the motto "ALS 'T MOET" (if needed) suggests reluctance but readiness. The tulips bordering the figure are another symbol. What feelings are conjured there? Editor: Tulips, especially in the Netherlands, suggest prosperity and national identity. Maybe there's a sense of defending Dutch prosperity. It is interesting how familiar images like Delftware or tulips become tools to convey and reinforce specific ideologies. Curator: Exactly! The power of symbols resides in their pre-existing cultural weight. Falise effectively uses these images, charging them with new, layered meaning in this historical context. He’s not just making a plate, he is encoding an ideal. Editor: It's incredible how much can be communicated through seemingly simple imagery. I now see this is less of a commemorative plate and more of a political statement about duty. Curator: And that’s why even functional objects like plates can resonate so deeply and become potent symbols, provided we learn to understand the underlying cultural language.