Flower Holder 1825 - 1850

Curator: Alright, next up we have the “Flower Holder,” crafted sometime between 1825 and 1850 by the Staffordshire Potteries. It’s a delightful piece of earthenware. Editor: Oh, a mini-fortress for blossoms! It's strangely appealing. A beige-ish castle...a whimsical, ceramic monument? I'm intrigued! Curator: Whimsical is a good word. These architectural earthenware pieces were quite popular; sort of bringing the romance of medieval architecture into the domestic space, though it looks quite humble here. A table top fantasy. Editor: Romance with... fortifications? This era fascinates me. You've got the seeds of industrialisation burgeoning alongside this clinging nostalgia for, essentially, hierarchical power structures and aesthetic of conflict. Like, whose flowers are protected by this fortress? Curator: It’s a fun juxtaposition, isn't it? On one hand, it's a quaint ornamental piece, something for your parlour. But then, you step back, and it feels loaded with all that symbolic weight of castles—power, defense, who's in, who's out. The flowers, perhaps, are the stand-in for vulnerable citizens? Editor: Exactly! This piece allows us to playfully question that aesthetic and historical through-line, from actual fortifications to cute, flowery fortresses. What narratives of protection and vulnerability are at play here, then and now? And the choice of relatively common material for it… How does this choice influence the viewer? Curator: Perhaps it makes it more accessible. Bringing the symbols of power to the common person, quite literally down to earth. The glazing adds this subtle shimmer, which does add to that romantic quality again. Editor: Yes, this reflective quality softens it just enough to pull it from a defensive stronghold into the realms of a child’s fairytale. All in all, it sparks interesting conversations. Curator: Absolutely, and it wouldn't even have occurred to me before looking at it with you, to be frank. A lovely piece to consider and be prompted by.