Octagonal bowl with floral motifs, dragons and pearls c. 1670 - 1700

This octagonal bowl, of unknown origin, features floral motifs, dragons, and pearls. The bowl's structure immediately grabs our attention: its eight-sided form is unusual. This deviates from the traditional roundness often associated with bowls, suggesting a deliberate choice to challenge convention. The floral motifs, dragons, and pearls are not merely decorative; they act as signifiers within a cultural code. Dragons, for example, often represent power and good fortune, while pearls may symbolize purity or wisdom. The arrangement of these motifs, combined with the bowl's octagonal shape, creates a visual language that invites us to decode its message. Consider how the interplay of form and symbol destabilizes our expectations. Is it a functional object? A purely symbolic one? Perhaps it is an intersection, inviting ongoing interpretation rather than fixed meaning.