Small Custard Cup c. 1785 - 1790

Editor: This little "Small Custard Cup" by Wedgwood looks like a waffle! The geometric pattern is striking, and the material has a unique texture. What can you tell me about its making? Curator: Wedgwood was a pioneer in industrializing pottery production. Consider how this seemingly simple cup reflects larger shifts in labor, consumption, and class during its era. The repeated pattern, the specific material—jasperware, likely—these speak to innovative manufacturing techniques and the expansion of consumer culture. Editor: So, its value lies in its reflection of broader manufacturing practices? Curator: Precisely. How does its materiality challenge notions of art versus craft and reveal the social dynamics of production and consumption? Consider its function and who might have used such a cup. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. I was focused on its aesthetic. Thanks, I'm off to consider the means of production! Curator: Likewise. The cup prompts us to reconsider how everyday objects encode social and economic histories.