Cockatoo 1760 - 1770

This is a porcelain Cockatoo, likely made in the late 18th or early 19th century by the Ludwigsburg Porcelain Manufactory in Germany. During this time, porcelain was a highly prized material, associated with wealth and status. The Cockatoo itself, native to Australia and New Guinea, would have been an exotic curiosity in Europe. Its presence here speaks to the burgeoning age of exploration and colonization. Consider how the bird, taken from its native habitat and rendered in porcelain, becomes a symbol of both the natural world and European power. Reflect on the conditions of labor that went into creating such a piece. Artisans who were likely working under strict conditions, transformed raw materials into objects of beauty for the elite. The whiteness of the porcelain also carries racial connotations, subtly reinforcing a hierarchy. This sculpture invites us to consider the complex interplay of nature, culture, and power.