Dish 1755 - 1775

This porcelain dish was produced by the Doccia Porcelain Manufactory in Italy, sometime between 1737 and 1896. During this period, porcelain was more than just tableware, it was a symbol of status, wealth, and power. The scene in the center, painted in a striking pink hue, depicts a pastoral scene of leisure. However, these seemingly innocent images often glossed over the realities of the time. The wealth required to purchase such fine goods was often derived from exploitative labor practices, and the labor required to make these goods was equally exploitative. Consider the hands that mined the materials, the artisans who molded and painted the porcelain. Their stories are subtly embedded in this object. This dish is more than just a decorative piece, it's a lens through which we can examine the complex intersections of art, labor, and social hierarchy in the 18th and 19th centuries.