Wall pocket c. 1770

Curator: Here we have an intriguing ceramic piece. This "Wall pocket," created around 1770, showcases the delicate artistry of an anonymous hand. It's part of the Decorative Arts collection here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: It's charming! Something about the form, almost like a stylized horn, juxtaposed with the soft floral details makes it quite whimsical. It feels distinctly domestic, a bit quaint, almost yearning for a simpler time. Curator: Precisely. Wall pockets like these were common decorative and functional objects within middle-class homes of the era. The sculptural quality elevated them from mere holders for flowers or letters, signifying a certain degree of refinement accessible to a broadening segment of society. The ceramic itself, readily produced in Staffordshire and other pottery centers, played a significant role in popularizing fashionable designs at affordable costs. Editor: Absolutely, and the visual choices underline that. Notice the blue bird perched amidst the floral pattern. Birds at this time weren’t merely aesthetic motifs, but symbols tied to specific social and even political allegiances—sometimes referencing the radicalism of the enlightenment or just the gentle sentimentality and domestic bliss idealized at the time. So, where does this particular artwork fit within that narrative of bird symbolism and female craft? Curator: That's the great mystery, isn't it? The piece remains anonymous, a detail reflecting the labor hierarchies of craft production, particularly the gendered dimensions of those spaces where art history often overlooked women and other minor artists who worked under larger workshops. Wall pockets such as this one played a particular function in female spaces, reflecting their identities in this period. Editor: It brings forward the concept of a very intimate history. I’m intrigued by what it holds and how it exists in its functionality as an object of daily life. Its functionality highlights an emotional connection with domesticity, prompting an observation of care, home and gender, particularly for people existing in the domestic and private realm. Curator: Agreed, focusing our perception not only on grand narratives of artistry but equally honoring how day-to-day people and actions intersect with larger cultural events is one of our objectives in showing a unique, subtle item like this. Editor: Right, these artifacts bring past individuals into the present, stimulating dialogue with them around themes of function, care and identity while revealing something about our shared human condition.