Tureen with cover (terrine du roi) 1757

Curator: This delightful object is a tureen with cover, also known as "terrine du roi", created by the Vincennes Manufactory in 1757. Editor: What immediately strikes me is the sheer opulence, a delightful marriage of emerald green and radiant gold. It screams indulgence. Curator: Absolutely. Porcelain was still quite a precious material in the mid-18th century. Examining its construction, we can appreciate the skill of the artisans at Vincennes who were pushing the boundaries of ceramic production. The molding, the painting, and the gilding all involved specialized labor. It begs the question, what status symbols did this era rely on? Editor: It's true; the entire object is brimming with Rococo symbolism. Take the cherubs, for example – they represent love, frivolity, pleasure... a carefree existence. The decorative program feels tailor-made to evoke a world of aristocratic leisure. The piece radiates playful innocence and worldly abundance at once. Curator: It's fascinating how the imagery and form work together to reinforce specific ideals. How it both celebrates and idealizes aristocratic life in 18th century France. And just consider the role of the gilding; it does so much more than simply decorate the piece; it highlights every contour and reinforces the value of this meticulously crafted porcelain object. Editor: Right, the cherubs appear amid all of the vegetal ornament. Speaking of which, note the fruit on the lid – possibly a peach. Fruit as symbols recur across the art of the era. What resonances do these sorts of objects and symbolic programs offer? Were they, at some level, distractions? Fantasies? What tensions were these surfaces intended to gloss over? Curator: It makes you wonder, doesn't it? When we study this piece, we are afforded a peek into not only courtly culture, but also the intense pressures of luxury production, pressures born out in workshops all over France in this very moment in history. Editor: I think you're spot on. Reflecting on this gorgeous object, one cannot deny the lasting fascination with this world it so cleverly encapsulates. The questions surrounding privilege and meaning-making certainly endure.