So many mysteries surround Saint-Porchaire ware. We don’t know who was involved in its production or why these objects were produced for such a short time. We are still discovering new things about the composition of the clay. What especially draws my attention here are motifs called arabesques. These are very intricate patterns that come from the Islamic world, especially its architecture, and were reproduced in numerous recueils d’ornements, or compilations of models for ornaments. Arabesques can also be found in classical music, where they take the form of ornamental motifs or curving lines that create flowing melodies. Listen to Robert Schumann’s Arabeske in C major, Op. 18, or Claude Debussy’s Deux Arabesques. This visual motif, and its musical equivalent, is a testament to cultural exchanges between the West and the East at a time when we didn’t necessarily expect people to know about other parts of the world as we do today.