Cup and saucer
1763–74
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height (Cup (.1a)): 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); Diameter (Saucer (.1b)): 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Rev. Alfred Duane Pell, 1913
Accession Number
13.50.1a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate cup and saucer, crafted by the renowned Meissen Manufactory in Germany between 1763 1774, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century European porcelain. Meissen, founded in 1710 as Europe's first producer of true hard-paste—a durable, translucent material rivaling prized Chinese imports—revolutionized decorative arts. Made from kaolin clay fired at high temperatures, this medium allowed for finely detailed modeling and vibrant overglaze enameling, transforming everyday objects into luxurious confections for the aristocracy. Adorned with charming hand-painted scenes of houses, tree...
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...