Milk Jug c. 1770

This is a delicate milk jug made by the Worcester Royal Porcelain Company. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, porcelain was not merely functional; it was a canvas reflecting social status, cultural values, and trade dynamics. Milk jugs like this one, adorned with floral motifs, signal a shift towards more informal and intimate domestic settings. The pink floral decoration and delicate form also speak to gendered associations of porcelain with femininity and domesticity. While the creation of porcelain often relied on the labor of marginalized groups, the ownership and display of such items became a symbol of bourgeois identity and taste. The consumption of milk, tea, and coffee became rituals that reinforced class distinctions. The jug embodies a complex interplay of aesthetics, economics, and social identity, inviting us to consider the stories objects tell about ourselves and our history.