Visuality and the Orphaned Vase

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates they history of a family heirloom, from its close relatives in various museums in the UK to its ‘history of origins’ in Safavid Iran . Given its lack of provenance, I have assigned it the status of an ‘orphan object’ which I have compared to my grandmother’s adoptive background . Seen through the lens of sensorial literacy—that is, an appreciation of the material object from a tactual as well as visual perspective—I suggest an individual potter’s interpretation of a well-known vessel, namely the Pilgrim Flask: made in China out of porcelain but based on Islamic metalware, the Safavid flask in the characteristic blue and white popular combination, in turn, makes reference to Chinese prototypes. The figure of the collector, in this case my grandmother, is explored from the ‘high end’ of the spectrum—the Safavid Shāhs, to the museum-level of Sir John Soane, to the micro/mundane level of the likes of you and me. Finally, the paper briefly dwells on the notions of custodianship versus consumerism, proposing some sustainable ideas for common objects of consumption.

Keywords: Blue and white porcelain – Collecting – Family History – Pilgrim flask – Profligate consumption.