Pair of Pitchers 1831 - 1838

These pitchers were made by the Tucker Porcelain Factory sometime between 1826 and 1838. They are made of porcelain with enamel and gilded decoration. The factory was one of the first to successfully produce high-quality porcelain in the United States. Their designs, like the neo-classical shape of these pitchers and the floral motifs, often mimicked European styles popular at the time. Think about the social conditions of the time. Owning decorative objects like these pitchers signified wealth and refinement, reflecting aspirations of the emerging American middle class. The existence of an institution like the Tucker Factory is a story of the new republic forging its own identity. Understanding the cultural and economic context, through things like archival research of factory records and period advertising, helps us interpret these pitchers as more than just pretty objects. They are artifacts embedded in the history of American industrialization and cultural identity.