Bowl (part of a set) 1730 - 1745

This porcelain bowl, part of a set, was created by the Meissen Manufactory. Its rounded shape and the delicate imagery invite contemplation. The bowl’s surface, primarily white, serves as a canvas for the monochrome figures of what seems to be a Chinese scene, rendered with meticulous detail. The composition wraps around the bowl, creating a continuous narrative that lacks a defined beginning or end, challenging traditional notions of linear storytelling. The figures, while detailed, are presented within a flattened pictorial space, reminiscent of traditional Chinese scroll paintings. This flattening destabilizes any sense of depth, emphasizing the surface of the bowl as a site of representation rather than illusion. The bowl engages with ideas around cultural exchange and representation. The decoration is a Western interpretation of the ‘Orient’. As such the bowl becomes an object that embodies cross-cultural dialogue and the complexities of artistic representation.