Mug 1680 - 1700

Editor: This is a mug, made of earthenware in England between 1680 and 1700, by the Lambeth Factories. The stripes remind me of a hazy horizon. What do you make of its simple design? Curator: It’s precisely that simplicity that speaks volumes. Mugs, particularly those of this era, aren’t merely functional objects. They carry cultural memory. Consider the pub culture of the time. What might this mug have witnessed, held? Editor: So, the image of the mug acts as a symbol of its era, then? The daily life and culture are all baked in… almost literally. Curator: Indeed! Think of the circle of the mug – a universal symbol of community and sharing. What sort of symbols and stories do *we* imbue our everyday objects with, in the 21st century? Do our mass-produced objects carry the same weight? Editor: That's fascinating! The rough, imperfect glaze now feels more meaningful; less a flaw and more like a sign of history. Curator: Absolutely. The imperfections give it character, almost a kind of… patina of lived experience. This mug embodies history in a tangible, accessible form. Editor: I never thought of a humble mug holding so much history. Thanks, this gives me a lot to think about! Curator: My pleasure! Art invites us to reflect on our own relationship to the world and objects around us, past and present.