Apostelkan (Cathedral Jug) c. 1842 - 1849

Charles Meigh produced this Cathedral Jug sometime in the mid-19th century. Its neo-gothic design and creamy color reflect a time when art and design became linked with social and political debates. Think about the jug's setting: Victorian England. Industrialization was booming, but so was a sense of cultural unease. Some designers looked to the past, specifically the Middle Ages, for inspiration. They believed that medieval artisans produced honest, handcrafted goods, untainted by modern industry. The jug’s design imitates the architecture of Gothic cathedrals, signaling the values of faith, tradition, and craftsmanship that some Victorians felt were missing from their own society. By studying design history, exhibition records, and even popular literature from the time, we can better understand the social values that this jug embodies. Art always has something to say about the world in which it was made.