Tureen with cover 1730 - 1740

Editor: Here we have a porcelain Tureen with cover, made around 1730-1740. It’s currently held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The decorative elements feel so lavish, so… Rococo! What's your take on this piece? Curator: Well, looking at it materially, we have porcelain, a luxury good in the 18th century. This piece screams excess. Consider the labor involved: the mining of the raw materials, the skilled craftsmanship required for its creation, and the global trade networks that facilitated its distribution. All of this reflects immense social and economic power. Editor: It does seem to emphasize the resources necessary to produce it. How does that play into the design? Curator: The form, function and the decoration of this tureen point to the dining rituals of the elite. It highlights a specific kind of labor. These ornamental objects served to enhance the spectacle of elite dining, and reinforced social hierarchies, didn’t they? Consider who would have owned and used this – who benefited from that kind of work? Editor: I hadn't thought about it in terms of who this object ultimately serves. Curator: Right, this piece is more than just a pretty dish. How was porcelain produced? By whom? For whom? How did this piece support the complex system that allowed its creation and purpose to exist? Editor: Seeing the artwork this way gives me a whole new level of appreciation - and some interesting questions - about art’s impact. Curator: Exactly. It encourages us to see beyond aesthetics and consider the bigger picture surrounding production and consumption.