History of Irish Studio Ceramics - Hidden Treasures of Museum Collections.

Secreted throughout the collections of the National Museums of Ireland are 20th and 21st Century craft objects, in ceramics glass and metals to encounter. Some are functional, to eat off, drink from, cut, dig, carve, adorn or hammer, some are celebratory, commemorative, humorous, or poignant. This paper proposes to explore these objects and ask what is their significance today? Are they merely historical reminders or do they still contribute to our culture, our knowledge and our identities. The paper will reflect the events these objects have lived through, how they have passed through many hands over many generations and how these generations have actually transformed these objects over time. Finally the paper will explore what these objects represent in a contemporary context, as metaphors of societal value in visual and material culture.