Box with cover 1735 - 1745

This covered box was made by the Meissen Manufactory, the first European producer of hard-paste porcelain. The piece is adorned with stylized floral patterns, each blossom a small echo of nature's endless cycle of growth and decay. These delicate motifs, rendered in a subtle palette, evoke the "horror vacui"—the fear of empty space—that characterized much of decorative art. The scattered flowers may allude to the fleeting beauty of life, capturing a moment in time. Consider the figure atop the lid: this element transcends mere decoration. The female bust reminds us of ancient caryatids, architectural supports carved in the form of women. And the flowers remind us of paintings in Pompeii and even further back to Minoan Crete, each use adapted to fit the new time but echoing past uses. This visual language speaks across centuries, evolving with each reinterpretation. Each era reshapes these symbols, imbuing them with new layers of meaning while retaining a link to their ancient origins.