Incense Burner c. 1830

Editor: Here we have an earthenware ceramic incense burner, crafted around 1830 by the Staffordshire Potteries. It depicts a quaint house, almost like a fairytale cottage. What draws my eye is how much detail they were able to achieve through earthenware. What do you see when you look at this object? Curator: Well, focusing on its materiality, this object raises questions about production. Staffordshire, at the time, was a hotbed of ceramic manufacturing. Were these pieces made by individual artisans or factory workers, or by dividing labor in workshops? That changes the perception, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Definitely! So, the labor behind even decorative pieces like this adds layers of complexity? The piece is charming, so considering factory production does add a critical lens. But why depict a house? Was there something especially symbolic about it? Curator: Consider the cottage's cultural context. Early 19th-century England was experiencing shifts in land ownership and urbanization. Portraying an idyllic home may express a longing for a pre-industrial lifestyle or become something of a commodity itself for city-dwellers looking to maintain some semblance of country life within urban interiors. Editor: So it is also a statement on how consumerism and the notion of "home" were beginning to change due to labor division during the Industrial Revolution? Curator: Precisely. Even something as seemingly simple as an incense burner opens a window into those evolving societal relationships and the means of production behind these everyday objects. Editor: That makes you consider what "home" actually means. I never considered it through the lens of labour division and class! I learned a lot! Curator: Indeed. By exploring the materials and context, we uncover deeper meanings and broader social narratives embedded within art.