Bowl with cover (part of a set) 1720 - 1735

This covered bowl was crafted at the Meissen Manufactory, a place synonymous with luxury and innovation in porcelain during the 18th century. Pieces like this bowl, adorned with idyllic landscapes, offer us a glimpse into the social hierarchies of the time. Porcelain was highly prized, a status symbol reserved for the aristocracy. These scenes, while seemingly pastoral, often romanticized the lives of the working class, carefully obscuring the realities of labor and inequality. As such, porcelain embodied a unique tension, reflecting both the refined tastes and the underlying social dynamics of the era. Consider how something as simple as a bowl could become a canvas for projecting power, privilege, and carefully constructed narratives. It encourages us to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves, and the ways in which those stories can both reveal and conceal the complexities of our shared history.