Cup and saucer 1875 - 1885

Curator: Before us sits a refined earthenware creation by Union Porcelain Works, identified as "Cup and Saucer," crafted sometime between 1875 and 1885. It resides here at The Met. Editor: There’s an austere simplicity about it. All white, but with those intricate raised patterns—it feels simultaneously delicate and rigid. There’s also an area removed from its top edge, and I’m instantly drawn to that opening; it evokes thoughts of use and even potential violence. Curator: Violence? While the clean, classical forms certainly suggest elegance, consider the broader context. This piece emerged during America’s Gilded Age. Think of industrialization, class division, and rapid cultural shifts – ornate designs such as those could reflect aspiration or the reproduction of European aristocratic motifs as markers of status within emerging American elites. Editor: Yes, markers of class, definitely! Looking closer, that handle looks like a stylized flower… But the very whiteness and lack of color become interesting from an intersectional point of view, I read that in 19th century America the color white was synonymous with a certain puritanical upper-class identity, so in effect it could be sending all sorts of exclusionary signals. Curator: Exactly, the clean surface and almost clinical look underscore this piece's significance beyond mere utility. I notice the repetition of geometric forms alongside the floral design – the symmetry mirrors a particular understanding of society – even our understanding of perfection. Editor: And thinking of perfection… that opening seems defiant! Perhaps this object is engaging in a very quiet form of resistance against societal impositions by disrupting what might be considered traditionally 'beautiful' porcelain making. Curator: I like that interpretation very much, especially if we think about the workers who crafted it, the designers of the factory, and how objects became deeply ingrained and complicated visual signals of belonging or exclusion. Editor: Absolutely, these small, everyday objects held social meanings we still need to carefully decode. What an interesting thing to find! Curator: Indeed, the Union Porcelain Works piece encapsulates a pivotal era. A seemingly straightforward cup and saucer is a powerful example that tells complex tales.