Bowl with cover 1710 - 1720

This porcelain bowl with cover was produced by the Meissen Manufactory in Germany. Meissen, established in the early 18th century, holds the distinction of being the first European manufactory to successfully produce hard-paste porcelain, a secret previously held by Chinese artisans. The bowl's pure white surface, adorned with delicate floral reliefs, speaks to the rococo fascination with the natural world. However, beyond its decorative appeal, this object reflects the socio-economic structures of its time. Porcelain, often referred to as “white gold”, was a symbol of wealth and power, coveted by European aristocracy, while obscuring the labor and colonial exploitation that enabled its production. Consider the bowl's function: likely used for serving sugar, a commodity obtained through the brutal enslavement of Africans in the Americas. The sweetness it offered masked a bitter reality of human suffering.