Kiln Failure

One day in 17th century Delft, the protective clay cylinder holding a stack of carefully-painted plates collapsed in a kiln. Imagine the disappointment of the potter when he discovered the plates, partly broken and welded together by their glazes. Now they reside in one of the ceramics galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Almost cantilevered, they look like a moment suspended in time. They have a dynamic, accidental beauty born from a supposed failure.