Pair of pomade jars with covers 1745 - 1765

These delicate pomade jars, crafted from soft-paste porcelain in Mennecy, France, display a motif of flowers. These botanical elements, rendered with subtle shading, carry a legacy far beyond mere decoration. Flowers are the primary symbols, embodying themes of ephemerality, beauty, and regeneration. From ancient Egyptian garlands to Renaissance vanitas paintings, floral motifs serve as reminders of life’s fleeting nature. Consider Botticelli's "Primavera," where Flora scatters blossoms, a potent symbol of renewal and the cyclical nature of existence. Yet, the act of containing pomade, a fragrant ointment, shifts the narrative. Here, flowers are not just symbols of life, but also of artifice, of concealing and enhancing natural beauty. This duality touches upon the very human desire to preserve youth and vitality. Observe how these floral symbols reappear across time, each era reinterpreting and imbuing them with new significance. They remind us that art is not created in a vacuum but in constant dialogue with the past, evolving in meaning as they resurface throughout history.