Spoelkom van aardewerk, E.J. Birch Black Basalt c. 1785 - 1800

This is a black basalt bowl, made by Edmund John Birch, though the date is unknown. It imitates the style of pottery developed by Josiah Wedgwood in the late 18th century in England. But why would an artist emulate Wedgwood's style? The answer lies in the nature of taste and cultural authority. Wedgwood cleverly marketed his wares to the British elite and even royalty, associating them with classical antiquity, a mark of high culture at the time. By recreating Wedgwood's designs, Birch taps into this established market and the social values it represents. The imagery and symbolism of the bowl reflect a conscious effort to align itself with those elite tastes. To understand this bowl more fully, you might research the market for ceramics in 19th-century England, the biography of Edmund John Birch, and the distribution networks of the British pottery industry. These are all crucial pieces in understanding the social life of art.