Cup 1775 - 1785

Curator: This is a beautiful porcelain cup crafted between 1775 and 1785 by the Fulda Pottery and Porcelain Manufactory. The cup, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, features a Rococo-style portrait. Editor: It's so delicate. The material feels so pristine, even in image form, like holding pure luxury. The simplicity of the silhouette is interesting when contrasted with the floral Rococo frame around it. Curator: Yes, the means of production speaks volumes about 18th-century craftsmanship and consumerism. Think of the social status imbued in possessing such a finely made object. Porcelain production involved intensive labor, from sourcing raw materials to the intricate painting. It raises the question, who were the workers, and what were their conditions like, manufacturing these items? Editor: I agree, this object would've signified elite status and taste. The portrait is interesting, the figure depicted is adorned in militant clothing that certainly tells the consumer the intended symbolism of status and power that this specific porcelain meant to those consuming beverages from it. But beyond the bourgeoisie sipping tea, who was excluded from these forms of symbolic status-based and identity production and performance? Curator: Precisely. Its existence serves as a stark reminder of social stratification and power dynamics in the late 18th century. Examining such objects allows us to consider narratives of marginalization, and resistance against dominant forces of oppression throughout colonial empires and even modern geopolitical conditions. Editor: Exactly, by understanding the history embedded in this delicate object we see a narrative of the consumer market of elitism but the dark reality of global consumption for labor and material access to perpetuate these industries. We have to reflect on what price we still pay for luxury items today. Curator: I'm glad that analyzing such artifacts opens us up to crucial questions. These objects allow us to dissect not just the aesthetic and material, but the intricate web of power and resistance which underscores societal realities. Editor: Right, engaging with items like this is important because the more we understand our history in an object, the more we're capable of reevaluating these items critically within today's consumption practices.