Saucer
ca. 1881–91
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
confirmed: 9/16 × 3 1/2 × 3 3/8 in. (1.4 × 8.9 × 8.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
British, Coalport
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Helene Fortunoff and Robert Grossman, 2017
Accession Number
2018.62.152
Art Historical Context
This delicate porcelain saucer, crafted the renowned British manufacturer Coalport around 1881–91, exemplifies the height of Victorian-era ceramic artistry. Coalport, based in Shropshire,, was celebrated for its fine bone china which combined exceptional translucency and strength through a secret formula developed in the early 19th century. just 9/16 × 3 1/2 × 3 3/8 inches, this petite piece was likely part of an elegant tea service, reflecting the era's obsession with refined tableware for afternoon teas and formal dining. Porcelain's significance in 19th-century Britain lay in its status as...