The Potter, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam 

Edmund Dulac created this illustration for The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, capturing the ancient craft of pottery. The potter’s wheel, a symbol of creation and transformation, dominates the scene, with the clay taking form under the artisan’s hands. The image is striking in its evocation of primal creation. Consider the symbolism of the vessel itself. From ancient Greece to Mesopotamia, the vase has been a universal metaphor for the human body, a container of life and spirit. In some traditions, broken pottery symbolizes mortality and the transient nature of existence. Yet, here, the act of creation persists, echoing the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. The earnest expression of the potter and the life-giving process of forming clay may reflect the psychological need to create, to leave a mark on the world, and to confront our anxieties about existence. The viewer is invited to meditate on the interplay between creation and destruction, inviting us to consider how these symbols persist in our collective consciousness.