Covered jug

Art Historical Context

This delicate covered jug, crafted around 1760 in hard-paste porcelain by the renowned Meissen manufactory in Germany, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century European ceramics. Standing just 5 9/16 inches tall, it belongs to the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Meissen, founded in 1710, achieved a world first by producing true hard-paste porcelain—a durable, translucent material rivaling prized Chinese imports—thanks to alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger's breakthrough formula. The jug's artistic significance lies in Meissen's mastery of intricate techniques, incl...