Boy with bagpipes 1765 - 1785

Editor: So this is Ralph Wood the Younger’s “Boy with Bagpipes,” likely made between 1765 and 1785. It’s a ceramic sculpture, and the glaze is remarkably well-preserved. It almost has a folk art feel to it. What are your initial thoughts? Curator: I see the fingerprints of production. This ceramic figure is fascinating when we consider the industrial context of its making. The artist isn't simply an individual genius; he is a craftsman deeply embedded in a network of labor and material resources. Editor: Could you elaborate on that? Curator: Think about the clay itself, where it was sourced, who mined it, and the skill needed to refine it. The pigments used for the glazes, too. All these processes involve different levels of expertise and labor. And what about the mold? Who carved the original mold from which these figures were replicated, potentially hundreds of times? It changes our understanding, doesn't it, moving away from just admiring its aesthetic qualities. Editor: Definitely. It makes you wonder about the lives of all the people involved in making even a single piece like this. Were these figurines popular, and if so, who was buying them? Curator: Exactly. The market demand, driven by consumer culture of the time, dictated the pace and scale of production. We need to examine who this “Boy with Bagpipes” was intended for, what purpose he served in a domestic setting. Was he merely decorative, or did he represent something more about aspirations, class identity, or even colonial narratives through imagery? Editor: That really opens my eyes to the hidden stories within the object. Thanks! Curator: The story of craft is so powerful precisely because it shows the material networks that art relies on.