Just Another Person Who Thinks She Knows Something
(I wish I could’ve gotten a better photo of this jar because it’s absolutely stunning. However, it’s displayed in such a way that it just isn’t possible without glare at almost every angle – except this one.)
So, Japanese blue porcelain – true examples of it aren’t very common because they tended to break up the blue with other colors or metallic glazes, so when you find a good example, it’s usually not this large or detailed. It’s usually smaller and plate, saucer, or cup.
Weaponry is beautiful, mmmkay? Look how pretty it is; it’s sturdy and functional, but still displays a stunning amount of detail for something that could be something much more basic.
Now this, my friends, is what we call “stick ’em with the pointy end”.
This is not a stabbity-stab. This is a hackity-slash. A beautiful, heavy, very well-cared for hackity-slash.
It’s difficult to see in the photos, but the glaze really reflects the light and comes off as almost metallic in many ways. I love these particular dishes because they are simple in their overall design but very complex in their execution. They are not dishes for the faint of heart, and, if you know me at all, you know that I am anything but a simpering twit. These are the dishes of a household of distinction – with a warrior’s twist.
I truly apologize for the light glare in the photo – there is glass over the top of the painting and there is no way to get a shot without some kind of reflective glare regardless of no-flash and low-light photography.
The truth of the matter is this: the textiles in this work of art are second to none. Say what you will of the composition, say what you will of the subject matter, say what you will of the colors and the execution of all of the above; the fabrics in this painting are some of the most exquisitely rendered textures ever captured in paint by human hands. Until you’re up close and can see the effects with your own eyes, you cannot and will not understand.
I have seen Old Master works up close and personally. I’m apparently descended from Hans Holbein (which leads to merry games of ‘spot the Holbein’ in museums wherever I go). I’m not talking out my backside when I say I know what a good cloth is meant to look like in paint.
I’m only cross that my photo doesn’t do it adequate justice so I can share the euphoric sense of wonder with you all when you realize it for yourselves.