Dimensions: height 32.5 cm, width 24.7 cm, depth 17.5 cm, diameter 11.7 cm
Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain
This is a pair of vases, crafted by La Courtille between 1771 and 1840. These vases reflect a period when the decorative arts served as a canvas for expressing societal values, where luxury items were visual statements of identity and class. During this time, images of birds were often deployed to evoke a sense of the idyllic and the pastoral. The vases are more than decorative objects; they are emblems of cultural ideals, mirroring the intricate dance between nature and society. Consider how such objects, while seemingly innocent, played a role in constructing a world of beauty exclusive to a privileged few. As you observe these vases, think about how their existence is intertwined with a narrative of power and representation, and how even the depiction of nature can be shaped by societal forces.
In 1810 Dommer father and son moved their porcelain factory from Ouder-Amstel to the grounds of a chemical factory in Nieuwer-Amstel, near the Pijp district of present-day Amsterdam. Porcelain was probably no longer actually produced in this factory, but only decorated there. These vases were bought from a porcelain factory in Paris and subsequently decorated in Nieuwer-Amstel with birds, trees and fruit.
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