Part of a coffee and tea service c. 1778 - 1782

This piece is a coffee or tea pot, part of a larger service, made of porcelain by the Loosdrecht manufactory. European porcelain of this era was deeply entangled with notions of class and colonial ambition. Tea and coffee, once exotic commodities, became symbols of status and sociability among the European elite. The whiteness of the porcelain itself echoed racial hierarchies, reinforcing ideas of purity and superiority. Note the pastoral scene painted on the side; idyllic images of leisure served to obscure the harsh realities of labor and exploitation that fueled the trade in these goods. Whose stories are missing from this delicate tableau? What price was paid for this moment of refined pleasure? Reflect on the intricate dance between beauty, power, and privilege embodied in this seemingly simple object.