Woman playing a mandolin 1765 - 1775

This is a porcelain sculpture of a woman playing a mandolin, made at the Ludwigsburg Porcelain Manufactory, which operated in Germany from 1758 to 1824. Small porcelain figurines such as this one reflect a broader cultural shift. The eighteenth century saw the rise of the Rococo style, which embraced lighthearted themes. At the time, porcelain was known as 'white gold', and only afforded by the upper classes. Aristocrats would collect porcelain figures to display their wealth. This sculpture shows a woman in the guise of a shepherdess, an icon of courtly play. But these figurines also reflect the harsh realities of the time. While porcelain was being consumed in Europe, other countries such as China, where the craft originated, were being exploited for their resources. The sculpture is a cultural artefact that requires study of both aesthetic and social context to better appreciate its meaning.