Coffeepot
ca. 1725–70
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alfred Duane Pell, 1902
Accession Number
02.6.230
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant coffeepot from theissen Manufactory, to around 1725–70, exemplifies the pinnacle of early European porcelain production. Founded in 1710 near Dresden, Germany, Meissen was the first manufactory to successfully replicate Chinese hard-paste porcelain—a durable, translucent material fired at high temperatures that had long been a coveted import. This breakthrough ended Europe's dependence on Asian imports and fueled a luxury goods boom among the aristocracy. Crafted from hard-paste porcelain, coffeepot stands just over 6 inches tall, its form both functional and refined, likely ador...
About the Artist
Meissen Manufactory · 1710–present
The Meissen Manufactory, established on June 6, 1710, by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, marked the dawn of true hard-paste porcelain production in Europe. Nestled at Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen near Dresden, the Royal Polish and Electoral Saxon Porcelain Manufactory arose from alchemical experiments begun in 1708 by physicist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and p...