Tea Bowl, Coffee Cup, and Saucer c. 1765

Editor: This is a Worcester porcelain tea bowl, coffee cup and saucer, dating back to 1765. The delicate floral design gives it a light and cheerful feel. What kind of stories do you think these objects can tell us? Curator: Well, consider the Rococo period in which these were made. The aristocracy cultivated this taste for luxury goods; the elite developed rituals of display and consumption. The items become signs of status, subtly reinforcing existing social hierarchies. Editor: So, even something as simple as a tea set had a political dimension? Curator: Absolutely. Porcelain itself was highly sought after and often imported from the East at great cost. British companies like Worcester then capitalized on colonialism and international trade. But who had access to tea, coffee, sugar at that time? Think of enslaved laborers on plantations and women in domestic spaces. These lovely items have complex roots. What do you make of the floral motifs themselves? Editor: I thought they were simply decorative. Curator: And perhaps they are, but they might also reflect an interest in botany and the natural world, another sign of wealth and education for the elite classes. It shows a mastery over the "natural world," if you think about it. Does knowing that complicate your initial feelings about this tea set? Editor: It definitely does. I’ll never look at a teacup the same way again. Curator: Exactly. That's the point, isn't it?