Sugar bowl with insects, flower sprays and grapevines c. 1797 - 1798

Curator: Ah, yes, this lovely piece. It's a sugar bowl with a lid, crafted around 1797-1798, part of the collection here at the Rijksmuseum. The piece is decorated with insects, flowers and grapevines; it bears the stamp of Rue Thiroux Paris. What are your initial thoughts on it? Editor: It feels simultaneously delicate and opulent. The white ceramic with gilded details suggests luxury, but then you see the insects – almost a collision of high and low. Curator: Precisely! Insects often symbolize transformation, fragility, or even mortality within the decorative arts, and their presence amidst these classic symbols of plenty might invite meditation on nature. Editor: I'm curious about the production. Given its refinement, was this piece meant for everyday use, or primarily for display in upper class environments? The hand painting must have demanded immense labor and the fine materials weren’t necessarily accessible to all social classes. Curator: I believe these objects reflected social status; Sugar itself was a luxury item at that time. To see insects and grapes in this composition connects wealth and power with our fragile connection with nature. Editor: Considering the date, late 18th century, I wonder how this bowl played into colonial trade routes of the time? What social and economic infrastructures produced this combination of artistry and luxury. Curator: Certainly, a very valid consideration, as those supply chains, and all of those routes would have a definite impact. Editor: Seeing this object then invites a reflection of the past into our time, understanding luxury and art today. I can see beauty in these artful details as well as meditate on power. Curator: That reflection resonates so profoundly today, doesn’t it? A conversation that bridges aesthetics and the critical social concerns of its time. Editor: Exactly, art is about interrogating history as much as celebrating artistry and ingenuity, don’t you think? Curator: Yes, these gilded creatures and flowering grapevines carry so much symbolic and socioeconomic weight through the ages, if we pause to acknowledge them. Thank you for opening my eyes.