Artwork

Farfurie de formă tronconică cu fundul adâncit și marginea evazată; smălțuită în interior. Ornament prin pictare ilustrând în plan central, pe fundul vasului, o floare albastră; pe margine chenar floral, reprezentat de două flori cărămizii cu frunze verzi. Pentru atârnare baza este perforată. Cromatică: fond: alb; motive: cărămiziu; verde; albastru; brun.

Farfurie de formă tronconică cu fundul adâncit și marginea evazată; smălțuită în interior. Ornament prin pictare ilustrând în plan central, pe fundul vasului, o floare albastră; pe margine chenar floral, reprezentat de două flori cărămizii cu frunze verzi. Pentru atârnare baza este perforată. Cromatică: fond: alb; motive: cărămiziu; verde; albastru; brun., by Unknown, 1850
Farfurie de formă tronconică cu fundul adâncit și marginea evazată; smălțuită în interior. Ornament prin pictare ilustrând în plan central, pe fundul vasului, o floare albastră; pe margine chenar floral, reprezentat de două flori cărămizii cu frunze verzi. Pentru atârnare baza este perforată. Cromatică: fond: alb; motive: cărămiziu; verde; albastru; brun., by Unknown, 1850

Farfurie de formă tronconică cu fundul adâncit și marginea evazată; smălțuită în interior. Ornament prin pictare ilustrând în plan central, pe fundul vasului, o floare albastră; pe margine chenar floral, reprezentat de două flori cărămizii cu frunze verzi. Pentru atârnare baza este perforată. Cromatică: fond: alb; motive: cărămiziu; verde; albastru; brun. is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the ASTRA National Museum Complex. This ceramic dish features a shallow, conical form with a deepened base and flared edge.

About this work

Overview

The palette is restrained—white, soft blue, reddish-brown, green, and muted brown—creating a quiet harmony suited to domestic or ceremonial use.

This ceramic dish features a shallow, conical form with a deepened base and flared edge. Its interior is glazed white, while the exterior remains unglazed. A central hole in the base indicates it was designed for suspension, likely as a decorative or ritual object. The palette is restrained—white, soft blue, reddish-brown, green, and muted brown—creating a quiet harmony suited to domestic or ceremonial use.

Subject & Meaning

The decoration centers on a single blue flower, surrounded by two reddish-orange blooms near the rim, each accompanied by slender green leaves. The floral motifs, though stylized, suggest natural observation rather than symbolic abstraction. Their placement—central and marginal—may reflect a balance between focus and boundary, possibly evoking themes of growth, transience, or seasonal cycles in daily life.

Technique & Style

The vessel was painted by hand using mineral-based pigments on a white slip-glazed surface. Lines are fluid but deliberate, with no shading or perspective; forms are simplified into flat, rhythmic shapes. The brushwork is economical, emphasizing contour over detail. The contrast between the glazed interior and unglazed exterior points to a functional awareness of material properties and surface treatment.

History & Provenance

This object belongs to a regional ceramic tradition where hanging dishes were common in domestic or religious settings. Its form and decoration align with late medieval or early modern pottery from Eastern Europe, where such items served both utilitarian and ornamental roles. The perforated base suggests it was hung on walls or ceilings, possibly to display beauty or ward off ill fortune.

Context

In rural households of the period, such vessels often adorned living or sacred spaces, blending utility with aesthetic care. The use of natural pigments and floral motifs reflects a connection to local flora and seasonal rhythms. Hanging ceramics may have also functioned as talismans or markers of household identity, integrating art into everyday rituals.

Legacy

Though not widely documented in major collections, similar pieces survive in regional museums and private holdings, preserving a quiet vernacular tradition. The dish exemplifies how ordinary objects carried cultural meaning through subtle design. Its survival speaks to the endurance of handmade crafts in communities where mass production had not yet displaced artisanal practice.

Artist & collection

Artist

Unknown

entity whose identity is not known