Ontwerp voor een theepot c. 1830 - 1840

Here we see a design for a teapot, meticulously crafted by Firma Feuchère with pencil. The spout, fashioned as a dragon's head, immediately captures our attention. In numerous cultures, the dragon embodies power, wisdom, and transformation, often bridging the earthly and spiritual realms. This motif echoes through history, appearing in ancient Chinese art as a symbol of imperial authority and in medieval European legends as a guardian of hidden treasures. Consider, too, the serpent in ancient mythologies. It represents not just chaos but also the life force, ever-renewing and potent. The dragon's presence on a vessel for tea—a drink with its own rich history of ritual and social exchange—suggests a layering of meanings. It perhaps elevates the simple act of tea drinking to something more profound, imbuing it with a sense of history and mythic grandeur. The cyclical recurrence of such symbols reminds us of the enduring power of images to connect us to the past, continuously reshaping themselves in the mirror of time.