Pair of standing women 1745 - 1755

Curator: Welcome. We’re looking at a delightful pair of earthenware figurines, “Pair of Standing Women,” attributed to the Whieldon type and dating from about 1745 to 1755. Editor: They strike me as rather humble. Sturdy women, standing side by side...There’s a muted Rococo delicacy to their forms, yet it is balanced by their rather plain expressions, and the earthiness of the materials. Curator: Absolutely. We should note the earthenware; this kind of pottery was incredibly important because it democratized access to decorative arts. Salt-glaze techniques were combined with colored oxides that provided designs beyond simple stoneware, making beautiful forms more affordable and accessible. This pair really reflects an expanding consumer culture. Editor: I wonder, what did the creation and the domestic usage of this earthenware signify for women during that era? Were these women the producers or the consumers or the subjects? These are crucial questions to investigate about labor, representation, and class. Curator: Indeed! Whieldon-type ceramics like these figures are indicative of production aimed increasingly at middle-class homes. Consider the transfer of knowledge between craftspeople at this time; innovations were moving between Staffordshire factories very quickly. These figurines are testaments to shared knowledge. Editor: It's interesting to think of them as objects in dialogue with one another, mirroring and commenting on the women, laboring and buying in 18th century. The quiet defiance in the tilt of the chin… it hints at resistance or even, maybe, aspirations beyond their circumstances? Curator: An interesting reading. Perhaps their placement on a mantelpiece acted less as pure ornament and more as a celebration, for women by women? It gives us plenty to think about. Editor: It certainly does! These “Pair of Standing Women" encapsulate stories that have been forgotten through time and their forms act as cultural witnesses. Curator: I agree entirely; thank you. This exploration reminds us that even seemingly simple artifacts provide rich ground for reinterpreting the past through its very material record.