Sugar bowl
ca. 1775
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Overall (bowl .5a, confirmed): 2 3/4 × 4 1/4 × 4 1/4 in. (7 × 10.8 × 10.8 cm); Overall (lid .5b, confirmed): 1 1/2 × 4 3/8 × 4 3/8 in. (3.8 × 11.1 × 11.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Höchst
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mercedes Bass, 2007
Accession Number
2007.243.5a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate sugar bowl, crafted by the renowned Höchst Manufactory 1775, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century German porcelain. Produced in the Electorate of Hesse, Höchst was one of Europe's leading hard-paste porcelain factories, rivaling Meissen in technical prowess. Hard-paste porcelain, fired at high temperatures for exceptional durability and translucency, marked a breakthrough in European ceramics, allowing intricate shapes and vibrant decorations that mimicked costly Chinese imports. Measuring just over 2¾ inches tall with its lid, this lidded vessel likely formed part of an ele...