A researcher at the Van Gogh Museum, Joost van der Hoeven, has revealed that Paul Gauguin's erotic ceramic, the Cleopatra Pot (winter 1887-88), was used as a flower vase by Vincent van Gogh's family. Gauguin brought the pot to Arles when he stayed with Van Gogh in 1888, and after Van Gogh's ear incident, Gauguin gave the pot to Vincent's brother Theo as a gift. The pot later remained with Theo's widow, Jo Bonger, and a photograph from 1925-26 shows it on her piano holding flowers, surrounded by still-life paintings.
This discovery matters because it sheds new light on the complex personal and artistic relationships between Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Theo van Gogh. The Cleopatra Pot, with its explicit erotic imagery and Gauguin's phallic monogram, was kept as a domestic object by the Van Gogh family, revealing how avant-garde art was integrated into everyday life. The story also deepens understanding of Gauguin's guilt over Van Gogh's ear mutilation and his efforts to maintain good relations with Theo, who was a key art dealer supporting both artists.