Incense Burner c. 1830

Editor: This earthenware incense burner, made around 1830 by the Staffordshire Potteries, is unexpectedly charming! It's shaped like a cottage and feels almost whimsical. How should we interpret such a decorative piece? Curator: Well, let's begin with its materiality. Earthenware was a readily available, affordable material. So, think about the social context. Who was producing this, and for whom? Staffordshire potteries were all about mass production, weren't they? Editor: That's right. It probably wasn't for the elite then. Were these accessible to the burgeoning middle class? Curator: Precisely. Consider the process: mold-made ceramics replicated widely, catering to rising consumerism. The decorative "foliage" highlights a romantic ideal of country life, doesn’t it? But think about the reality for the factory workers creating these objects. Were they experiencing a rural idyll or long hours, low wages and urban environments? Editor: A disconnect, then, between the object's image and the reality of its production? Was this contrast typical of the era? Curator: Often. The very act of replicating this picturesque scene en masse cheapened its symbolic value, wouldn't you say? Think about the consumption of such goods: was it mere escapism, a means of aspirational display or something else entirely? What's the function of decoration in a rapidly industrializing society? Editor: It certainly provides a different perspective knowing more about how it was actually made! The charm takes on a new complexity when you consider the lives of those crafting it. Curator: Exactly. Now, next time you look at seemingly innocuous decorative object, will you consider the labor behind its creation? Editor: Absolutely. It makes me appreciate the object in an entirely different light. Thanks for pointing that out.