Dish 1753 - 1754

This dish, made of soft-paste porcelain, was created in the 1760s by Jeffreyes Hammet O'Neale. Its delicate form and refined decoration speak to the rise of industrial production in 18th-century Europe. Porcelain itself was a luxury, with production techniques closely guarded. Soft-paste porcelain, like this, was an attempt to mimic the prized hard-paste porcelain of China. The painted decoration – a romantic landscape in a distinctive purple hue – would have been applied by skilled artisans, following established patterns. This division of labor, characteristic of the factory system, allowed for efficient production and wider distribution. The dish's scalloped edge and hand-painted scene are aimed at elite consumers who enjoyed fashionable designs. However, its very existence depended on the labor of countless individuals involved in the extraction of raw materials, the manufacturing process, and the distribution networks that brought it to market. So, this seemingly delicate object carries within it the complex realities of 18th-century production and consumption.