Saucer (part of a service)
18th century
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 5 3/16 in. (13.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Duchess Pini di San Miniato, 1982
Accession Number
1982.293.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate saucer, part of a larger porcelain service, hails from the renowned Meissen Manufactory Germany during the 18th century Crafted under the artistry of Christian Friedrich Herold a master painter at the factory, it exemplifies the pinnacle of European porcelain production. Measuring just 5 3/16 inches in, its hard-paste porcelain body—fired at high temperatures for exceptional durability and translucency—represents a technological breakthrough. Meissen, founded around 1710, was the first in Europe to successfully replicate Chinese hard-paste porcelain, sparking a craze among royalt...
About the Artist
Meissen Manufactory|Christian Friedrich Herold · 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...