Bowl 1825 - 1830

This bowl was made by Enoch Wood, a master potter in the late 18th and early 19th century in Burslem, England. During the period of industrialization, the Staffordshire potteries mass-produced transferware ceramics such as this one, which were exported worldwide. The blue decorations on this bowl tell a story of class, labor and longing. Wood was one of the first to perfect the technique of transfer printing, which allowed for the mass production of affordable ceramics. Yet, these images often presented idealized versions of labor and leisure for the rising middle class. We see a man, presumably a member of this class, resting under a tree, with a classical building in the background, all suggesting an aspirational lifestyle disconnected from the realities of work and industrialization. Consider how this everyday object, meant for domestic use, carries with it complex narratives about aspiration, labor, and the changing social landscape of the Industrial Revolution. It invites us to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves through the objects we surround ourselves with.