Oil pot
ca. 1735–40
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The George B. McClellan Collection, Gift of Mrs. George B. McClellan, 1941
Accession Number
42.205.95a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite oil pot, crafted by the renowned Meissen Manufactory 1735–40, exemplifies the pinnacle of early European porcelain artistry. Produced in hard-paste porcelain—a breakthrough material Meissen perfected in 1710, rivaling China's imperial wares—this German piece from Saxony stands just 6 7/8 inches tall, blending functionality with opulent decoration. As part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, it reflects the patronage of Augustus the Strong, who fueled Meissen's rise as Europe's first true porcelain factory. Meissen's innovations...
About the Artist
Meissen Manufactory · 1710–present
The Meissen Manufactory, established on June 6, 1710, by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, marked the dawn of true hard-paste porcelain production in Europe. Nestled at Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen near Dresden, the Royal Polish and Electoral Saxon Porcelain Manufactory arose from alchemical experiments begun in 1708 by physicist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and p...