Tray 1876 - 1883

This porcelain tray by Ott and Brewer, presents a symphony of natural motifs. Butterflies, dragonflies, and cattails. The shell form itself is ancient, linking back to the birth of Venus, often depicted emerging from a scallop shell, symbolising love and beauty. The butterflies and dragonflies, are symbols of transformation, flitting between earth and sky, life and death. They echo the "Psyche" motif, where the butterfly represents the soul's journey. Cattails, rooted in water and reaching for the sky, stand for adaptability and strength. One sees similar symbolism in ancient Egyptian art, where reeds were emblems of Upper Egypt, or in the Far East, where insects and plants are subjects of contemplation. The emotional resonance of the tray lies in its intimation of nature's eternal cycles. Just as the Venus archetype has returned time and again, these symbols resurface, evolving in meaning yet retaining their power to engage us on a subconscious level.