Doos, gelobd, op losse voet, met vergulde landschappen op zwarte grond 1700 - 1800

This lobed box with a separate stand features gilded landscapes on a black ground. The idyllic scenery, complete with mountains, trees, and pavilions, echoes motifs found across East Asian art. Consider the recurring image of mountains: In Chinese art, mountains are not merely geological features, but sacred symbols representing the connection between earth and heaven, embodying stability, endurance, and spiritual aspiration. This reverence is deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness, resurfacing in various art forms across centuries. Here, they evoke a sense of longing for harmony and peace. This yearning is a primal impulse, an unconscious desire for equilibrium that resonates through art, and in the landscapes emblazoned on this box. The non-linear, cyclical progression of such symbols demonstrates how they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.