Vase (one of a pair) 1708 - 1725

This is a porcelain vase, one of a pair, made by the Meissen Manufactory. The vase represents the height of European aristocratic taste. In the 18th century porcelain was synonymous with wealth and power. The aspirations of the elite were often reflected in the objects they chose to surround themselves with, and porcelain was highly prized. Yet, let’s consider the labor that went into this vase. While the Meissen Manufactory aimed to imitate the porcelain of China and Japan, the European appropriation of Chinese techniques in the 1700s also speaks to global trade and colonial exploitation. The exoticized female figures and decorative floral arrangements represent a form of cultural consumption. They also reflect a European obsession with control and display, as these vases would have been status symbols in the homes of the elite. Despite their beauty, these vases encapsulate a complex history of power, privilege, and the often-unacknowledged labor that underpins artistic creation.