Plate c. 1775

Here we have a collection of white ceramic tableware of unknown date, made by an anonymous artist. Tableware like this was common in middle class homes, and speaks volumes about gender and class in society. Historically, the dinner table was not just a place for nourishment, but also a stage where social status was performed. Owning matching sets of tableware like this signaled upward mobility. Remember though that this was also a period when household labor was sharply divided along gender lines. The labor of keeping this tableware pristine, setting the table, serving, and cleaning, disproportionately fell on women. As you look at these plates, consider the emotional labor involved, the countless hours spent maintaining a facade of effortless hospitality. What does it mean that the maker is anonymous, their labor lost to history? This simple set of plates becomes a poignant reminder of the often invisible contributions of women to the domestic sphere.