Preview
Upload Date
10-22-2025
Department
Classics
Label Text
This porcelain teacup and saucer, trimmed in gold with scalloped rims, is adorned with painted bugs, flowers, and clusters of what seems to be raised Brunnera blossoms. Time has worn it down—the handle, braided with gold and tied with a pink bow, is fading, and many delicate flowers are chipped or missing. Dust, slight scratches, and little marks tell the story of years of use, yet the surviving Brunnera shine with vivid blue.
I was captivated by that small sea of blue—how the blossoms cling to the cup, holding on even as others have broken off. To draw attention to them, I digitally faded the rest of the image to black and white, leaving only the flowers in color. Though delicate, Brunnera—also known as “false forget-me-nots”—are hardy, early-blooming flowers that symbolize endurance, memory, and steadfast loyalty. Even chipped and worn, these blossoms endure, a quiet reminder that beauty and resilience can persist through time, and that even fragile things can carry profound meaning.
Camera Settings: Aperture
f/16
Camera Settings: Shutter Speed
1/8
Camera Settings: ISO
100
Lighting
Overhead and Moveable Lights: Full
Photoshop Adjustments
Masking, Inverse Selection, and Black and White Filter
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Found in
ADC study collections