Bord, met op het plat twee gebouwen en een schip c. 1859 - 1863

Editor: This ceramic plate, created by Guillaume Lambert around 1859-1863, features two buildings and a ship. The blue and white contrast creates such a peaceful scene. What symbols jump out at you, and how might they have resonated with viewers at the time? Curator: Indeed. The color alone is potent; blue often signified status and rarity. And then there's the composition itself. Notice the two prominent structures? These aren't just buildings; they are idealized depictions of pagodas, symbols of Far Eastern exoticism. They tap into a European fascination with "the Orient." And the ship…what do you make of its inclusion? Editor: It seems to suggest a connection, maybe trade, between these exotic lands and the West? Or perhaps a journey to a new world, a world of riches and beauty. Curator: Precisely! Ships represented exploration, commerce, and even conquest. By including such motifs, the artisan wasn't just decorating a plate; they were encapsulating narratives, triggering fantasies of distant lands and profitable voyages. Don’t you find how such "everyday" items could encapsulate and reflect dominant cultural narratives interesting? Editor: Absolutely. I hadn’t thought about it that way, but seeing the cultural symbols laid out so explicitly really changes how I view this piece. Curator: Exactly! Images are seldom innocent; they carry within them a heavy cargo of meaning. The exercise becomes, what meanings do we inherit and what new stories can be unlocked? Editor: I’ll never look at decorative dishware the same way again! This was really eye-opening, examining how it can reveal so much about a culture’s desires and views.