Vase c. 1897 - 1910

Curator: This lovely Art Nouveau vase, made of porcelain, was crafted sometime between 1897 and 1910. The artist behind this beauty is Nils Emil Lundström. Currently, it resides at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: Oh, how exquisitely understated, a whispered dream of nature captured in pale porcelain. The colors, so delicate, give it almost an ethereal presence. I feel instantly calmed. Curator: Indeed! Lundström really harnesses the flower motif with a beautiful economy. That single stylized floral stem extending up from the base…for me, it speaks to a quiet, persistent reaching, like hope made tangible. Editor: Exactly! And the choice of porcelain heightens that sense of delicate striving. Porcelain itself carries so much cultural baggage, doesn't it? A history of trade routes, social stratification... yet here, it feels stripped back to something pure and simple. The floral adornments suggest it might symbolize grace and transience. The white lily atop reminds me of spiritual transcendence; of funerals and innocence. Curator: Good point. The single lily dominating the piece is pretty symbolic of those life cycle associations. It seems like a dance of paradoxes. On one hand, it whispers mortality, while the very act of immortalizing the flower in porcelain suggests a yearning for enduring beauty. Editor: Right. It’s like the vessel is a body itself, a container of both fragility and resilience. Perhaps the viewer is expected to contemplate life and the universe, as one is bound to think. There is some real cultural weight in it, for such a small item. I want it for my living room... a conversation piece. Curator: Yes, I totally see that appeal. Lundström captured that tension perfectly – between strength and vulnerability. He certainly gave us an object of sustained, quiet contemplation. Editor: For sure, this porcelain flower quietly provokes ideas about temporality and the enduring strength of beauty, which I'm keen to hang onto.