Found Objects #3: Ceramic Pot Cover

My friend and fellow Pink Gardens resident, June, found this ancient ceramic pot cover while digging around the outer reaches of the property earlier this spring. She knew it was right up my alley and gave it to me. I absolutely love the way the clay has taken on a couple of hues due to part of it being in the ground and part of it left exposed for who-knows-how many years and decades. The small amount of the top glaze finish ads a nice counterpoint in texture and color. No matter which orientation the lid is in the photos, this small patch of dark brown glaze reminds me of those cave painting of bison, deer and horses that we've all seen from those caves in France and around the world. (Off topic slightly, but I'm convinced I was one of those early humans that created those images on those cave walls. I've always felt an affinity with them. June recently came back from France and visited some of those caves, bringing back a book about them. Perusing it one afternoon, I really felt familiar with all of them. Who knows, right?)

I'd bet that this piece is at least 150 years old, if not older. Above, I shot it by itself on the crushed stone driveway. Below, I added a stem of cut orchids I had in the house that weekend, and used the wooden porch floor as a background. Is there a better color combination than a subdued lime green and a magenta-leaning purple? I use those two colors on my wooden pieces quite often. The surrounding neutrals and subtle striping of the woodgrain just adds to the tone and depth of this photograph. 

The 'bite' out of the lid adds a bit of whimsy as well, evocative of my favored Apple brand logo as well as a suggestion of PacMan, that '80s video game so popular in bars and clubs. I also like the juxtaposition of the fragile but long-surviving antique and the fragile but still-vibrant orchid.