Small Custard Cup c. 1785 - 1790

Curator: This is a Small Custard Cup by Wedgwood. Editor: It’s so sweet, in its own severe way! It reminds me of monastic pottery—earthy, humble. Curator: The grid pattern is intriguing. Grids have always represented order, control—a way of understanding and containing the world. Editor: But the cup's shape is so irregular! It almost feels like the grid is struggling to hold it together, like an idea barely contained. Curator: The color is interesting too, isn't it? It is a pale green and that makes me think of the symbolic meaning of innocence, growth, and renewal. Editor: It feels like potential, like a tiny promise of deliciousness held within. You know, for a custard, or a dream. Curator: A dream held in a grid… quite a thought. Editor: Exactly! It’s deceptively simple, this little cup.