clay and ceramics

shelf 3

Revered by Europeans as white gold, porcelain made in China was a highly prized commodity. These wares eventually met with competition in the 1700s, as European countries discovered how to create translucent porcelain ceramics. Figural pieces representing anthropomorphized versions of the earth’s continents were popular, as well as telling of the producers’ belief of their standing in the world. Made in Germany, the Black figure personifying Africa serves the commodity of sugar, while Europa rides high on a white horse, wearing a crown and holding a scepter, the globe at her feet.

 

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