Perzische vaas of schenkkan 1876 - 1951

Curator: Theo Nieuwenhuis created this little pen and ink sketch, “Perzische vaas of schenkkan”, sometime between 1876 and 1951. It's currently part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: My first thought? It's delightfully quirky! Almost like a botanist’s fever dream about Persia, sketched on the fly. It feels incredibly personal and immediate. Curator: Exactly! It’s interesting to see the hand of the artist so directly – the sketch lines are so confident yet also hesitant in places. Nieuwenhuis was working during a time of intense cultural exchange and colonialism. What role do you think these types of depictions had at this time? Editor: Hmmm… They might have been seen as an exoticization, romanticizing objects and cultures while subtly reinforcing existing power structures. It would have given viewers at the time the feeling they were a step away from somewhere far away. The way the sketch emphasizes specific patterns... well, it potentially flattens cultural nuances. What's your take? Curator: I see it more as pure fascination. The imperfections are what charm me. It reveals more about Nieuwenhuis’ mind. You get a glimpse into his way of seeing, how a “Persian vase” sparked his imagination. It’s almost as if he’s trying to grasp its essence. Editor: And that’s where it becomes really fascinating. That interaction. It brings the vase into Nieuwenhuis’ world. That flower design is definitely interesting, too. Its place in the image is what gets me to think. Curator: Agreed. And I also love how it is just on this little piece of paper that somehow adds to the vase. It looks like it just exists here now in ink, forever in this moment. Editor: It’s like finding a visual poem tucked away in an old book. Makes you wonder about the context and the stories that object carries. Curator: Absolutely, the little pen sketch definitely opens so many thoughts for reflection on Persian ideas. Editor: It reminds us how art captures a moment and becomes part of a longer, continuing cultural conversation.