British Transferware in Portugal (1780-1900). (In)equality, identity and style.

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Archaeological Studies of Material Culture (General Sessions)" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

British transfer ware begins to be identified in the Portuguese archaeological record around 1780s. At this time it is an elite’s product and only identified in wealthy contexts. Transfer ware only started to be made in Portugal around 1850. By then lower income households were able to consume this fashionable ware, inspired in the British patterns. Nevertheless these copies do not replace the role British wares had in high status groups and a social distinction based on consumption is noted between the people who could afford the original British wares and the ones who consumed the Portuguese ones. This paper will focus on four different archaeological contexts in urban and non-urban sites discussing consumerism, consumption, identity and social inequality based on a global product and its imitations.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeological Studies of Material Culture (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2021

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology