Teacup c. 1920s

Editor: Here we have Otto Lindig's 'Teacup', housed at the Harvard Art Museums, standing at about 4 inches tall. There's something melancholic about it, maybe the visible damage. What do you make of it? Curator: It's rather poetic, isn't it? I see a quiet beauty in its imperfection, a testament to time and use. It whispers stories of warmth, perhaps even a clumsy accident or two. Does its fragility make you reflect on your own vulnerability? Editor: It does now! I hadn't thought about the teacup as a metaphor. Curator: The Japanese have an art for this; the beauty of imperfection. Now, does this teacup remind you of any work that explores similar themes? Editor: I see what you mean. It gives a whole new dimension to the idea of finding beauty in unexpected places. Curator: Exactly, and that’s the tea, isn't it?