Wierookbrander, een schede met zwaard en een vaas 1817

This detailed line drawing by Pietro Ruga features an incense burner, a sword sheath, and a vase. While seemingly disparate, these objects speak to rituals of status, power, and beauty, deeply rooted in their historical contexts. Notice the classical figures adorning each object, referencing ancient Greek and Roman aesthetics. These were times when gender roles were performative acts, dictated by societal expectation. The male figures, nude and athletic, embody the ideals of masculinity, strength, and civic duty. The vase, a symbol of domesticity and beauty, contrasts with the sword, an object of power and virility. Ruga invites us to consider how these objects transcend their material forms, becoming powerful symbols of societal values and individual identity. They encourage us to reflect on how we construct our own identities through the objects we choose to surround ourselves with.