Tea Bowl and Saucer
c. 1700
Medium
Gilded silver and enameled copper
Dimensions
Saucer: 2.3 × 14.2 cm (7/8 × 5 9/16 in.); Tea bowl: 5.9 × 12.3 × 8.3 cm (2 5/16 × 4 13/16 × 3 1/4 in.)
Classification
drinking vessel
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
151562
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of early 18th-century Europe with this exquisite *Tea Bowl and Saucer crafted by Matthäus B II around 1700. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department Applied Arts of Europe, drinking vessel exemplifies the era's lavish metalwork. The saucer measures a delicate 2.3 × 14.2 cm, while the bowl stands at 5.9 × 12.3 × 8.3 cm, perfectly proportioned for intimate tea rituals. Fashioned from gilded silver and enameled copper, the piece showcases advanced silversmithing techniques. Gilding—applying a thin layer of gold over silver—created a radiant, durable shine f...