Dish with snakes and floral scrolls 1804

This dish, adorned with snakes and floral scrolls, was crafted from porcelain by the Kaiserliche Porzellanmanufaktur. The piece offers a glimpse into the world of luxury goods and imperial patronage. Consider the visual codes at play, here. The snakes and floral motifs, rendered in gold, silver, and imperial purple, speak to power, wealth, and refined taste. This object was produced by the Kaiserliche Porzellanmanufaktur, or Imperial Porcelain Factory, which historically served the elite. The absence of a date for this artwork invites further investigation. Was this dish intended for display, or for practical use? Either way it reflects the social structures of its time. To fully understand the social life of this dish, we can consult archival records, studies of the decorative arts, and historical accounts of court life. Ultimately, this dish reminds us that even the most seemingly decorative objects are embedded in complex networks of power and meaning.