"Porcelain Bodies: Gender, Acquisitiveness, and Taste in Eighteenth‑Century England" (original) (raw)

The essay explores the cultural significance of the female china collector in eighteenth-century England, arguing that societal narratives depicted women as compulsive consumers of porcelain, contrasting them with male collectors who were viewed as discerning. The analysis reveals that this dichotomy not only shaped gendered perceptions of taste and consumption but also highlighted the intersection of commerce, art, and femininity. By examining contemporary representations, particularly in art, the work challenges the conflated ideas of consumption and true collection and underscores the socio-political implications of collecting practices.