Incense burner 1755 - 1770

This porcelain incense burner was made by the Derby Porcelain Manufactory between 1751 and 1785, a period marked by the height of the Rococo movement. The piece presents a fascinating confluence of wealth, ritual, and the natural world. Its cobalt blue glaze, embellished with gilded floral patterns, speaks to the opulence sought by the aristocratic consumers of the time. Yet it's the incorporation of the natural world via the goat heads that compels us to consider broader questions about the relationship between humans and animals. Goats, often associated with virility and untamed nature, are here tamed and transformed into decorative elements. This tension evokes the era's complex negotiations between Enlightenment rationalism and the raw, emotional aspects of the human experience. The incense burner invites us to meditate on how objects, even those meant for personal ritual, reflect cultural values and power dynamics.