Deksel van een terrine 1777 - 1790

Editor: This is the lid of a tureen, created sometime between 1777 and 1790 by the Porseleinfabriek Den Haag. It’s made of porcelain and part of the decorative arts. I’m immediately drawn to the almost overwhelming abundance of the fruit and floral arrangement. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: It’s the abundance that resonates most strongly, you're right. Look closely, and you see that each individual element is rendered with such meticulous detail. What do you think this celebration of earthly delights might represent during that time? Editor: Well, seeing that it's rococo, perhaps it's just celebrating the good life, food, beauty and material pleasures? A kind of elegant excess? Curator: Precisely! Rococo often embodies a yearning for a return to simpler times but filtered through the lens of courtly refinement. Note the carefully placed bird, seemingly perched amidst the bounty. Birds often represented the soul and transformation during the era. Do you see any connection between this idea of spiritual elevation and this visual abundance? Editor: Maybe it’s a gentle reminder that even amidst plenty, there's a need for inner peace or a spiritual component. Sort of like a "bread and roses" ideal. Curator: That's a very insightful point! "Bread and roses," indeed. And the fact that this is a terrine lid— meant to contain food – underscores the importance of both physical and, dare I say, spiritual nourishment. This imagery invites the diners into a space of plenty that is, paradoxically, ephemeral. Editor: That makes the piece so much richer – seeing that duality of earthly pleasures with that spiritual, ethereal quality. Thanks for illuminating that for me. Curator: My pleasure! It reminds us how objects from the past can reflect both the tangible and the intangible, offering pathways into cultural memory.