Saucer from a tea service for twelve 1807 - 1808

This porcelain saucer was crafted by Christophe-Ferdinand Caron as part of a tea service. Its central motif, a bird in flight, is framed by decorative pinecones. The bird, an ancient symbol of the soul's journey and freedom, appears across cultures, from Egyptian hieroglyphs representing the 'Ba'—the soul flying from the body—to Christian art, where birds often symbolize spiritual aspiration. Consider how, millennia later, it resurfaces here on a delicate porcelain. The pinecone, adorning the saucer's rim, is an emblem of enlightenment and immortality, traceable to ancient Greek and Roman traditions. This symbol, associated with the pineal gland, or "the seat of the soul," represents the height of spiritual consciousness. Notice the interplay between these symbols—the bird in flight, striving towards the heavens, and the pinecone, a testament to inner illumination. They evoke deep, subconscious connections, linking us to ancestral beliefs and timeless human aspirations.