Originally discovered as vials of blown glass found in ancient burial chambers, the actual function of these small artefacts still remains a mystery. Convinced that they were “tear gatherers” the Victorians adopted the practice of using similar vessels to collect and preserve the precious tears shed when mourning the loss of a beloved partner or relative. Certain Victorian replicas boasted ornate stoppers allowing the bottle’s contents to evaporate completely. The emptying of the lachrymatory vase marked the completion of the mourning period.

Koraïchi first encountered these delicate, intimate and precious vials of antique glass in the Bardo Museum in Tunis. He conceived this series of blue-and-white, four-handled, ceramic vessels as virtual repositories for the millions of uncollected tears shed because of “man’s inhumanity to man.” While contemplating civil wars waged between members of a single nation - as in the decade-long Algerian Civil War (1991-2002) and the ongoing atrocities in Syria - the template of a fragile ancient vessel gave way to the form of these robust vases of a size more adequate to contain the lost grief of generations of beloved mothers, fathers, daughters and sons. Certain historic, twin-handled vials resembling a woman with hands on hips suggested the four-handled form as a way to represent the tears of both women and men contained within a single, shared vase. The alphabet of signs, symbols and glyphs on the exterior surface symbolically recount the vanished personal histories within. While working to complete the decoration and firing process for this series, in Barcelona, in February, 2020, the artist became caught up in the coronavirus pandemic raging through that city. The sad scenes surrounding him gave added significance and urgency to his solitary labours under “lockdown” conditions.