Vase with cover 1765 - 1775

This Vase with cover was made in England, sometime between 1744 and 1784, at the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory. During this period, the aristocracy and upper class were driving demand for luxury goods, with porcelain being particularly desirable for its delicate beauty. The Rococo style that defines this vase reflects the values of its original owners. The use of playful imagery, such as the putti on the side, contrasts with the seriousness of earlier art. The Chelsea Porcelain Factory and similar workshops across Europe met the demand for these luxury goods, and they shaped tastes as much as they responded to them. This vase isn’t simply pretty; it speaks to a whole social world. To gain a deeper understanding of the vase, historians consult period documents that trace the circulation of porcelain and other luxury goods and study the lives of those who acquired them. By studying the social and institutional context, we can better understand this object and the world it inhabited.