ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
CATALOG
The Keeper of All the Secrets: Jacqueline Bishop’s Ceramic Tea Service Paperback â July 18, 2025
Jacqueline Bishop’s ceramic tea service The Keeper of All The Secrets is a new commission that will go on display in the Queen’s House at Royal Museums Greenwich in early 2025. Featuring the image of the market woman and various plants known to induce abortion, the service is a comment on colonialism, empire and the position of women in society. The figure of the market woman is a well-known symbol of the plantation system, but little has been written on her significance. She performed an illicit resistance to the plantation system, secretly assisting in the regulation of menstrual cycles and illegally terminating unwanted pregnancies, many of which are known to have been the result of rape by enslavers. This book, also featuring new poetry by Bishop and an interview, situates the market woman within the context of Caribbean enslavement and the tea trade. The tea service will be considered alongside other items in the Museum’s collection relating to colonialism and empire and provides a lens through which contemporary debates on the present-day impacts of these issues can be explored.
PROGRAMMING
Workshop: Sips of Wisdom
Celebrating the knowledge of African Caribbean herbs for womenâs health
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 11:30amâ1:30pm
This workshop is an introduction to herbal traditions, exploring the history of African Caribbean herbs, their connections to African and Indigenous practices, and their importance for womenâs health.
Inspired by artist Jacqueline Bishopâs ‘Keeper of All Secrets’ tea set, the workshop will delve into the theme of the Market Woman and her role in sharing knowledge about herbs.
As part of the session you’ll design and paint your own cup and saucer to take home. The session will include:
- Discussion and sharing of the uses of African Caribbean herbs.
- A guided reflection meditation on connecting to inner resilience, empowerment and ancestral knowledge across all lands.
- Painting a cup and saucer, inspired by the knowledge learnt and shared on the day.
JOIN THE ACC IN LONDON, ENGLAND WITH JACQUELINE BISHOP
You’re invited to join the American Ceramics Circle for a three day trip to London, Cambridge and Norwich, March 19-21, 2025 to explore collections and current exhibitions.
We begin in London with a welcome reception at E & H Manners gallery on Tuesday the 18th
On Wednesday we will travel by train to Norwich where we will visit Norwich Castle Museum and the Sainsbury Centre. Friday, we will travel again by train to Cambridge where we will visit the Fitzwilliam Museum and Kettleâs Yard.
Thursday, we are invited to join the English Ceramic Circle at the Victoria & Albert Museum for a Wedgwood study day . We will meet with ceramic historian Caroline McCraffrey Howarth who will share her research on the important nineteenth-century collector Lady Charlotte Schreiber and her majestic donation of 18th-century ceramics to the V&A. We also have the opportunity to meet with V&A curator Alun Graves and visit the museumâs studio pottery collection.That evening, we are invited to attend the launch and reception of Jacqueline Bishopâs âKeeper of All The Secretsâ at the Queenâs House in Greenwich.
Organized by Leslie Ferrin, Christina Prescott-Walker and Rachel Gotlieb
Fee: $45 for members, $60 for guests
All travel, meals, entry fees and hotel costs are âa la carteâ – to be paid directly by attendees. The organizers will negotiate group entries, and make detailed recommendations for travel and hotels as required.