Ontwerp voor een koelemmer met het wapen van de Franse koning 1738 - 1749

This is Gabriel Huquier's design for a French royal ice bucket. The royal coat of arms, emblazoned with fleur-de-lis, speaks of power and lineage, claiming divine authority, but it's the figures flanking this crest that truly capture the imagination. Note their transformation: human above, serpentine below. These figures, half-human and half-fish, evoke the ancient figure of Melusine. A figure whose dual nature embodies the mysteries of transformation. In medieval lore, Melusine was a water spirit whose story spoke of hidden knowledge and the dangers of the feminine unknown. Across centuries, such hybrid forms appear. Think of mermaids, sirens, or even the dragon-like creatures guarding treasures in ancient myths. They recur in our collective unconscious, reflecting our fascination with metamorphosis. Perhaps these figures also speak to our own hidden depths, the fluid boundaries between our conscious and unconscious selves, which we find resurfacing in unexpected ways, forever altered, yet undeniably familiar.