Sweetmeat Stand c. 1770

This Sweetmeat Stand was made by the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company out of glazed soft-paste porcelain. What’s most striking is the way the material has been manipulated, by hand, into a whimsical, naturalistic form. Notice how the three shell-like bowls, trimmed with a delicate pink glaze, appear to emerge from a miniature coral reef. The amount of labor involved in shaping and painting each individual element—the tiny shells, the bright orange coral, the leafy green seaweed—is immense. Worcester was one of the first English factories to master porcelain production, meeting the growing demand for refined goods among the middle class. Though we tend to think of porcelain as a high-end material, it was actually integral to the rise of consumer culture. As such, this object represents not only artistry and skill, but also the dynamics of labor and consumption that shaped the era in which it was made.