We are testing some gold-enamel porcelain coffee cup sets as switches in electronic circuits. We also looked at a book called “Women’s collecting and display” which discusses the role of the materiality of porcelain. It posits women’s collecting as emancipation, and tells the story of porcelain’s arrival in Europe, the emergence of porcelain as a collectible and display as a significant activity for women in the private housings. We see a link between porcelain and electronic consumption as a part of history of accumulation and privilege, but also democratisation – porcelain was available not only for rich, upper class women, but also women other classes.
