Taperstick c. 1720

This small ceramic taperstick was likely made by an anonymous artisan. The blue and white decoration imitates the more expensive Delftware pottery which was popular at the time. Pieces like this were not just utilitarian; they carried social and cultural weight. Ceramics often evoke discussions about trade, colonization, and class. The production of Delftware, and similar ceramics, involved a complex network of global exchange, where raw materials and artistic ideas circulated across continents. Artisans were often positioned within systems of labor and production dictated by the demands of a burgeoning consumer culture. Consider the hands that shaped this piece. Each stroke of the brush carries the mark of its maker. This simple object is steeped in layers of human experience, reflecting both individual creativity and collective histories. It is a quiet, yet potent reminder of the everyday lives that constitute our shared past.