Plate 1732 - 1738

Jean Jambin crafted this silver plate, a seemingly simple object, yet it echoes with symbols of status and festivity. Its circular form is primal, harking back to ancient sun worship and communal gatherings, a shape found across cultures. Consider its undulating edge – a stylized wave, perhaps? The wave is not merely decorative; it’s a symbol of the endless cycle of life, of change and continuity. Think of the Egyptian ouroboros, the snake eating its tail, or the endless knot in Buddhist art. These are all variations of the same fundamental idea, reappearing in Jambin’s plate as a subtle echo. One can almost feel the weight of history, the collective memory embedded in this polished surface. It calls forth feelings of nourishment, companionship, and perhaps, a longing for a time when such objects signified a shared identity. It stands as a reminder that even in the most functional objects, humanity’s deep-seated desire to imbue meaning endures.