Tea bowl 1873 - 1876

Curator: This is a tea bowl crafted by Karl L. H. Müller, dating back to sometime between 1873 and 1876. It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum. Editor: It feels like a contained breath of fresh air, doesn't it? The simple shape, adorned with that modest floral design—a whisper of spring in ceramic form. There is a lovely decorative aspect, a little precious even, that makes you just want to reach out and turn it slowly in your hands. Curator: Absolutely. Müller was deeply immersed in Asian art traditions. Crafted from earthenware with its painted design, it beautifully displays those leanings with distinct imagery. You notice the prominent botanical imagery; what comes to mind when you focus on these motifs? Editor: It is striking how contained everything is, pressed into service as a delicate emblem, hinting at, well, everything, like most flowers can! They carry a distinct and layered symbolism for the patient observer. Even this isolated floral arrangement has many things to communicate to us in its composition: what season it is, what mood we are in, even perhaps the owner's preferences. Curator: Precisely. While Müller embraced Eastern aesthetics, this tea bowl also showcases the period's taste for the exotic and refined decorative arts. There’s a lovely tension there. A conversation. Editor: In other words, we can easily find ourselves asking whose culture it is, and what exactly does 'decoration' do to these more potent and evocative images? Can we really separate their symbolism, from our symbolic act of possessing this artwork? This tea bowl and how it might exist within culture is like a cup with limitless tea... I am really happy to be thinking with it today! Curator: It invites reflection. I find myself grateful to it for calling me here. Thanks so much for chatting about it with me today.