Cup and saucer
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height (Cup .305): 2 13/16 in. (7.1 cm); Diameter (Saucer .306): 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Austrian, Vienna
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Hans Syz Collection, Gift of Stephan B. Syz and John D. Syz, 1995
Accession Number
1995.268.305, .306
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant cup and saucer, around 1725–35 during Vienna's Claudius Innocentius du Paquier period, exemplifies early European mastery of hard-paste porcelain. Produced at the du Paquier factory—the first in Vienna to rival Saxony's Meissen with this prized "white gold"—the set features a delicate cup (2 13/16 inches) and saucer (5 1/4 inches across). Hard-paste porcelain, fired at high temperatures for translucency and strength, marked a technological triumph, unlocking the secrets of Chinese exports for lavish European tables. Vibrant overglaze enamels and gilding bring dynamic battle scene...