Beaker
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height (teapot .445a, b): 5 in. (12.7 cm); Diameter (waste bowl .446): 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm); Width (cups .447, .448): 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm); Diameter (saucers .449, .450): 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
British, Chelsea
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.451
Art Historical Context
This elegant beaker, crafted around 1752–55 at the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory in London, exemplifies the early success of British porcelain production. Created in soft-paste porcelain—a delicate, translucent material developed to mimic prized Chinese imports—the piece reflects the innovative spirit of 18th-century European ceramics. Decorated by the Irish artist Jefferyes Hamett O'Neale, it likely features his signature narrative scenes drawn from literature or fables, adding a layer of storytelling to its refined form. As one of England’s first porcelain factories, Chelsea played a pivota...
About the Artist
Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory|Jefferyes Hammett O'Neale · 1744–1784
**Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory** The Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory, Britain's pioneering porcelain enterprise, was founded around 1743 in Chelsea, London, by two Huguenot silversmiths: Nicholas Sprimont from Liège and Charles Gouyn. Sprimont, trained in Paris as a goldsmith before immigrating to England, brought his expertise in luxury metalwork to the venture, while Gouyn handled early sales th...