Against a field of turquoise blue, a parakeet eyes two fluttering butterflies, perhaps wit...
Against a field of turquoise blue, a parakeet eyes two fluttering butterflies, perhaps with mayhem in mind. The butterflies can escape, however, for the unfortunate budgie is chained by his foot to his perch. A sprig of greenery adds a suggestion of nature, but this bird is clearly a domestic pet.
In addition to strong colors, a striking contrast exists between the opaque, slightly-raised enamels in which the birds are executed and the sense of depth created by the translucent glaze used for the ground color. The asymmetry of the composition and the un-posed depiction of the parakeet and insects speak of the Japanese influences sweeping European design in the eighteen-seventies and eighties.
The narrow border reinforces the far eastern influence. Here the turquoise glaze provides the ground for a more obvious imitation of Asian cloisonne metalwork--the illusion created by carefully applied enamels and all-important touches of gilding. A wider gilded band, with a dot pattern created by the raised paste gilding technique, surrounds the central scene.