Design for a large Vase representing 'Water', Plate 5 from: 'Neu inventierte Vasi auf die neueste manier' 1745 - 1755

This is a design for a vase representing ‘Water’ by Jacob Gottlieb Thelot. Water, a primal element, takes form here not just as a substance, but as a symbol teeming with life and mythology. The vase is adorned with putti, or cherubic figures, who frolic amidst reeds and fountains. These winged children, often associated with divine love and innocence, are a recurring motif that can be traced back to ancient Roman art, where they were symbols of Eros and playful spirits. See how the cherub, originally pagan symbols, were adapted in Christian art to represent heavenly love. The same figure appears in Botticelli’s paintings, and later Bernini’s sculptures, each time the image carries a new symbolic load. Embedded within is the emotional power of water itself. It reminds us of the subconscious, a deep well of emotions. The putti, carefree and joyous, evoke a sense of nostalgia and childhood bliss. This imagery taps into a primal part of our minds, reminding us of the ever-flowing stream of life, death, and rebirth. Notice how the vase as a form is not merely an object, but an idea, a memory reshaped across time.