An urn overflowing with fruit and flowers 1820 - 1830

This vibrant image of an urn overflowing with fruit and flowers was made by the Derby Porcelain Manufactory sometime between 1751 and 1785. During this period, Europe’s colonial expansion brought new commodities like pineapples into the lives of those wealthy enough to afford them. These goods became visual symbols of status and global power. At a time when the poor struggled to access basic sustenance, the image offers an idealized vision of abundance for the elite. Notice the whiteness of the roses and grapes; its conventional association with purity reflected and reinforced the racial hierarchies of the time. The painting invites us to consider how seemingly innocent displays of beauty are often intertwined with complex issues of wealth, privilege, and colonial history.