Cup and Saucer

Art Historical Context

This elegant cup and saucer, around 1757 by the Manufacture nationale de Svres, exemplifies the refined luxury of 18th-century French porcelain. Produced at the renowned royal factory established under Louis XV, the piece reflects the era’s taste for delicate tableware that combined utility with opulent display. Soft-paste porcelain, a material prized for its creamy translucence and ability to take fine detail, was carefully molded and then enhanced with delicate gilding, creating a shimmering surface that caught the light during use. Sèvres porcelain held immense cultural significance as a symbol of French royal patronage and technical mastery. The factory’s innovations in soft-paste production allowed artisans to achieve subtle colors and intricate patterns that rivaled imported Chinese and Japanese wares. Though small in scale—measuring just over five inches across—this drinking vessel speaks to the period’s emphasis on intimate, refined dining rituals among the aristocracy. Today housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Applied Arts of Europe collection, the cup and saucer invites viewers to appreciate both its functional beauty and its place within the broader story of European decorative arts.

About the Artist

Manufacture nationale de Sèvres · 1763–1800

The Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, a premier French porcelain factory, flourished from 1763 to 1800 as the royal powerhouse of European ceramics, producing opulent soft- and hard-paste porcelain under the patronage of Louis XV and XVI. Originally founded in Vincennes in 1740 to rival Meissen and Chantilly, it relocated to Sèvres in 1756 and was fully acquired by the Crown in 1759, becoming the M...