Table with Three Levels with Ornamental Objects 1800 - 1900

Curator: Here we have "Table with Three Levels with Ornamental Objects," an Asian art watercolour from the late 18th or early 19th century, now housed at the Met. The details, though…delicate doesn’t quite capture it. What strikes you? Editor: An exquisite miniature stage. The colors are restrained, yet somehow opulent. There’s a story playing out silently amongst these objects—I feel it viscerally, it almost hums. Curator: Indeed. The formal composition creates a very interesting tableau. Note the careful arrangement of the objects and furniture into a kind of structured still life. There is a table crafted with three distinct levels. What might these tiers represent to you? Editor: Levels of consciousness? Steps in a ritual? Or perhaps, simply an elegant solution to the practical problem of displaying prized possessions, elevating them, quite literally. The arrangement gives an aura of great intimacy... a collector absorbed by this grouping. Curator: The materials – watercolour and drawing on paper – emphasize that sense of intimacy and interiority, don’t they? The watercolour bleed is something else. Notice that the three tiers, rather than acting as separate planes, seem interconnected. Editor: Yes, they converse. I also detect, beneath the controlled technique, an almost defiant playfulness, especially with the vase and feathered brush. Curator: Perhaps we read too much emotion in an intentional rendering. The three levels, connected to each other, add dimension to a simple presentation. A great way to save on space and display your ornamental pieces with flair. Editor: Possibly. But the choice of rendering objects elevated is inherently symbolic, whether conscious or unconscious. It elevates not just objects but their potential meaning too. I sense the owner saw significance in their presence. Curator: The viewer is given an intimate glance at the tastes and interests of someone long ago. We find echoes of ourselves in the items this person cared to collect and display. Editor: What began for me as a playful composition seems now to reveal something more resonant about beauty and memory and time itself. Curator: Well said. I believe this piece challenges us to reflect on the meaning and artistry behind the organization of space in relation to what we choose to display.