An image of the Horsehead Nebula reveals a region of star formation within clouds of gas and dust about 1,500 light-years away. The light of the star Sigma Orionis illuminates the nebula’s contours, revealing delicate layers of matter moving slowly through space.

Beside it appears a small Qing Dynasty snuff bottle used to store powdered tobacco, which was sometimes regarded as a medicinal substance and a medium connecting sensory experience with altered states of perception.

Next to it lies a Jun ware ceramic plate from the 12th–13th centuries, whose deep blue glaze and flowing splash patterns capture a moment of liquid movement suspended in material.

Together they suggest a sequence in which cosmos, body, and matter operate according to the same logic of formation and dispersion.