Covered Bowl 1750 - 1760

This covered bowl was made by the Chelsea Factory in England, sometime between 1742 and 1784. It is crafted from soft-paste porcelain and ornamented with molded and applied decorations. The Chelsea Factory was among the first porcelain manufacturers in England, producing luxury goods for a wealthy clientele. By the mid-18th century, such factories had become important sites for the production and consumption of visual culture. The delicacy of the bowl, along with its naturalistic motifs of strawberries, flowers, and insects, speaks to the Rococo tastes of the period. But beyond its aesthetic appeal, the bowl also reflects the social hierarchies of the time. Porcelain was an expensive material, and only the elite could afford such wares. To truly understand this object, we might consult factory records and period inventories, tracing the circulation of porcelain and its role in shaping social status.