Cup
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Overall 4 5/16 × 4 3/16 in. (11 × 10.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Austrian, Vienna
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of his wife, Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1977
Accession Number
1977.216.39
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate cup, crafted in 1817 by the esteemed Imperial Porcelain Manufactory in Vienna, exemplifies the refined artistry of Austrian porcelain during the Biedermeier era. Measuring just 4 5/16 × 4 3/16 inches, it is made of hard-paste porcelain—a high-fired, durable material prized for its translucency and strength, rivaling the best European traditions from Meissen and Sèvres. Produced under imperial patronage, such pieces were symbols of sophistication, often gracing the tables of Habsburg nobility amid the post-Napoleonic cultural renaissance. The cup's decoration, featuring motifs of...
About the Artist
Imperial Porcelain Manufactory ( ) · 1744 –1864
Vienna, 1744–1864