Covered jar with monster heads and gilded bands with ruyi motif c. 1750 - 1799

Curator: Before us, we have a stoneware covered jar dating back to sometime between 1750 and 1799. Its provenance is unknown, crafted by an anonymous artist but currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It feels very precious, somehow delicate despite being stoneware. The crackled glaze makes it look almost fossilized, like something ancient pulled from the earth, prettified with gold. Curator: That crackled effect, called craquelure, wasn't intentional. It happened as the glaze cooled faster than the ceramic base, a technical issue in firing but often considered aesthetically pleasing, even desirable, later on. What I find particularly interesting is the choice to then gild these cracks. It elevates a material failure into something luxurious. Editor: Absolutely. And these little monster heads! What are they guarding, do you think? Dreams? Secrets? Also, the ruyi motif feels so deliberately ornate and yet repetitive around the bands - is there perhaps an association with ritual production or spiritual practices in this era? Curator: Good questions! The monster heads likely derive from mythical creatures believed to be protective symbols, so, yes, guarding secrets sounds about right. The repetition of the ruyi pattern reflects a connection to symbols of power and good fortune in that era. And you're right to pick up on those social cues of status. These ceramics weren’t just art objects but important symbols of power, indicators of taste, even trade commodities to some extent. It is quite a potent little jar when you think of it like that. Editor: A potent little jar, indeed! I imagine it whispering secrets of past empires when I walk past, a fascinating reminder of our enduring quest to capture beauty and power in everyday objects. Curator: Exactly. An exploration of process, meaning, and labor captured in a single vessel.