Cuppa gedecoreerd met een druppelvormig motief c. 1500 - 1598

This drawing shows a cup decorated with a teardrop motif, crafted by an anonymous artist, and held at the Rijksmuseum. The teardrop shape, repeated across the surface, carries echoes of ancient symbols of fertility and the womb. Note how the teardrop motif, similar to the vesica piscis, appears in the mandorla surrounding Christ in medieval art. The cup also features grotesque masks and floral motifs, each rooted in classical antiquity, resurrected during the Renaissance, and seen here taking on new life. The faces, reminiscent of ancient theatrical masks, hint at the transformative power of display. Consider how these images, passed down through time, trigger subconscious associations, evoking a sense of cyclical return. The artist taps into the cultural memory, revealing the enduring power of these archetypes to stir the soul.