Cup and Saucer with an Abolitionist Scene c. 1853 - 1863

This is a cup and saucer, probably produced at the Etruria Works, decorated with an abolitionist scene. The scene is strikingly monochrome, set against the bright white ceramic surface. The image is framed by a decorative border of red and blue which gives structure to the composition and focuses the eye on the central scene. The scene is of a seated enslaved man, beneath a palm tree, which dominates the field of vision with its sharp angles and dense pattern. This contrasts with the subtle, more naturalistic rendering of the man himself. There is a clear semiotic contrast between naturalistic representation and pattern work. This pattern work gives a sense of visual restriction, perhaps reflecting the man's own restriction of freedom. The cup and saucer is a domestic object, used for rest and refreshment. To place this scene in such a context creates a destabilization between the act of leisure and the struggle for freedom. It poses questions about how we reconcile comfort with awareness of injustice.