Candlestick c. 18th century

Curator: This exquisite object is a porcelain candlestick made by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, dating back to the 18th century. Editor: It strikes me as surprisingly flamboyant. That glossy white surface contrasted with such intricately molded flowers... It seems almost too pretty, but also, undeniably captivating. Curator: Rococo aesthetics definitely embraced extravagance. Beyond just prettiness, it represents the wealth and artistry of the period. Porcelain was a prized commodity, almost a stand-in for social power. The candlestick embodies a society focused on courtly ritual. The flowers— Editor: —yes, let's linger on the flowers a bit. They're not just decoration, are they? Porcelain, especially, demands incredible skill to mold such delicate shapes. And the act of molding it links directly back to social context— the human labor that allowed someone somewhere else to display it as an aesthetic or a financial piece. Curator: Precisely. There’s an economy embedded within its very material. Moreover, the candlestick highlights the performative nature of light within a social and gendered context. Consider how these were used; who had the access and luxury to light in such a fashion. What stories did light expose or conceal. Editor: Absolutely. And thinking about its construction in Germany then placement in places like Chicago— where is this housed now—highlights global exchange too. From raw material extraction and colonial enterprises to the skill of labor that renders these consumer pieces we have an array of complicated material narratives. It is almost as if this candlestick presents us with beauty concealing histories. Curator: I think that is true— the way an object that initially seems to celebrate ornamentation, luxury, and display can become a focal point for interrogating material practices. Editor: The beauty hides an entangled tale. Curator: Well said, revealing beauty as being deeply interconnected with the social fabric, global politics, and gendered power structures.