Cup (part of a service)
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
2 3/4 × 2 3/4 in. (7 × 7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Frankenthal
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Walter T. Rosen, in memory of his mother, Mrs. Flora Tower Rosen, 1932
Accession Number
32.71.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate cup, crafted around 1770 by the Frankenthal Porcelain Manufactory during the Karl Theodor period, the pinnacle of 18th-century German porcelain. Produced in the Electorate of the Palatinate under the patronage of Elector Karl Theodor, Frankenthal was renowned for its high-quality hard-paste porcelain—a technically advanced medium developed in Europe to rival prized Chinese imports. Made from kaolin clay and fired at intense temperatures, this material allowed for thin, translucent walls and intricate detailing, making pieces like this 2¾-inch cup both functional and luxurious for...