Cup and saucer (part of a tea set)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1805
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height (cup [.195]): 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm); Diameter (saucer [.196]): 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alfred Duane Pell, 1902
Accession Number
02.6.195, .196
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate cup and saucer, of a larger tea set crafted in Paris around 1805, exemplifies the artistry of French hard-paste porcelain during the Napoleonic era. Produced in the bustling workshops of the French capital, the set features a cup standing just 2⅝ inches tall and a saucer measuring 4¾ inches across. Hard-paste porcelain prized for its durability, translucency, and ability to mimic costly Chinese imports, marked a technological triumph for European makers, allowing intricate designs to shine through thin, gleaming white bodies. The decoration—charming vignettes of houses nestled a...