Cup 1724

Editor: This lovely little ceramic cup, dated 1724 and made by the Staffordshire Potteries, just seems to hum with history. I'm immediately drawn to its folksy charm and, honestly, slightly wonky lettering. What are your thoughts when you see something like this? Curator: You know, it whispers tales, doesn’t it? The raw imperfection, that intentional imperfection, perhaps, takes me to simpler times, when artistry wasn’t about flawless replication but heartfelt expression. Baroque, yes, but a Baroque filtered through a very specific, English, lens. I see hands turning that clay, generations perfecting that mottled glaze. I can almost feel the warmth coming out of the kiln. What does that glazing suggest to you? Editor: It’s almost marbled. It reminds me of treacle, or maybe even an old riverbed. Curator: Exactly. The ‘treacle’ glaze— slipware as its known —is so evocative of that time and place. It tells a story of a society learning to embrace, perhaps mimic, high-art flourishes but through their own vernacular. Editor: It's like they're putting their own spin on sophistication. Curator: Absolutely. Think of the Dutch Masters, with their dramatic chiaroscuro and rich detailing, and compare that with what these potters from Staffordshire are doing here. It feels less ‘grand statement’ and more ‘quiet observation’ Editor: This has been so fascinating! I’ll never look at a ceramic cup the same way. I can really feel history through art. Curator: Likewise! It shows us, doesn’t it, that the beauty is not necessarily in the flawless or the grand, but in the lived-in and personal.