Cup and Saucer
c. 1815
Medium
Porcelain with polychrome enamels and gilding
Dimensions
Cup: 6 × 10.6 cm (2 3/8 × 4 3/16 in.); Diameter: 9.2 cm (3 5/8 in.); Saucer: Height: 2.9 cm (1 1/8 in.); Diameter: 14.1 cm (5 9/16 in.)
Classification
drinking vessel
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
15021
Art Historical Context
This elegant cup and saucer, produced around 1815 by the renowned Wedgwood Manufactory, exemplifies the refined porcelain tableware that defined early 19th-century European dining. Crafted from fine porcelain and adorned with polychrome enam and delicate gilding the set reflects the’s taste for luxurious yet objects. Its modest dimensions—suitable for tea or coffee—highlight how such vessels became central to the rituals of social life in Britain during the Regency era. Wedgwood, founded by Josiah Wedgwood in the mid-18th century, revolutionized ceramic production by combining industrial inno...
About the Artist
Wedgwood Manufactory
Wedgwood Manufactory, founded on 1 May 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, revolutionized ceramics during the Industrial Revolution. Born into a family of potters, Josiah apprenticed under his elder brother Thomas at the Churchyard Works from age 14, mastering traditional techniques before partnering with Thomas Whieldon from 1754 to 1759, where he honed innovative glazes. ...