White Gold: Global Histories of Porcelain, Pleasure and Power

This course explores the entangled histories of porcelain and the people who created, traded, admired, collected and died for it, its beginnings in China, its development as a coveted trade commodity in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, the extraordinary passion for porcelain that swept across Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the large-scale production beginning in the late nineteenth century for the new middle classes in the US and Europe. Following porcelain will allow us to examine a fascinating global history, tracking its aesthetic, social, political, commercial and technological evolution over the centuries and across many societies and places, from China via the great collections and manufactories in Europe (e.g. Meissen, Sèvres) to the twentieth-century Chicago-based porcelain painting company W.A. Pickard. Drawing on examples from collections around the world, we will study some of the finest pieces of art ever made as well as more humble everyday tableware. We will explore porcelain’s connection to violent quests for power, colonialism, exploitation and social inequality, while also appreciating the enduring beauty of a fundamental human practice.

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Online registration deadline: Tues. 6/4/24  at 5 PM CT