Etui c. 1770

Editor: This captivating object is titled "Etui," crafted around 1770 by the Fürstenberg Porcelain Factory. It’s porcelain, giving it this striking delicacy. My initial thought is...it’s both adorable and a bit unsettling to see a baby rendered in porcelain like this. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The image of the swaddled infant resonates deeply within our cultural memory. Binding, in many societies, isn't just about physical restraint, but protection, almost like a second skin offering security. The pink ribbons… what feelings do they evoke for you? Editor: Well, pink is often associated with innocence, perhaps referencing a child’s garment, but here, binding this figure… I’m not sure it conveys innocence at all! It makes me question if it represents restricted potential? Curator: Precisely! The "Etui" existed as a miniature, a plaything for adults, encapsulating societal anxieties and affections surrounding childhood. Porcelain itself adds to this: fragile, precious, and easily broken. Consider its original owner: what do you think such an image would conjure for them? Editor: I imagine a noblewoman cherishing motherhood, perhaps mourning a lost child. There’s something deeply personal and melancholy about freezing this image in porcelain. Curator: Exactly. The “Etui” isn't just a decorative object. It’s a container of emotions, anxieties, and perhaps, even a meditation on mortality, veiled beneath the Rococo aesthetic. Editor: Seeing it as an object holding "emotion" rather than merely a sculpted figure reshapes my perspective on it entirely. Curator: It does for me too! Each viewing reveals something more, which is the power of these cultural objects, always speaking through history and personal reflection.