Cup and Saucer
1810–15
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain, enamel, and gilding
Dimensions
Diam.: 13 cm (5 1/8 in.); Cup: 5.7 × 9.8 cm (2 1/4 × 3 7/8 in.); Saucer D: D.: 3.2 cm (1 1/4 in.)
Classification
drinking vessel
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
69012
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This porcelain cup and saucer were made at the Dagoty Porcelain Factory in Paris in the early 19th century. The firm, founded by brothers Pierre-Louis and Etienne-Jean-Baptiste Dagoty, enjoyed the imperial patronage and protection of Empress Joséphine Bonaparte, the first wife of Napoleon I. The empress grew up on the Caribbean island of Martinique, where gold, shells, and coral were commonly used for personal adornment. This blend of the material worlds of Africans, Europeans, and Native people...