Tea or hot water urn

Art Historical Context

This elegant tea or hot water urn, by Joseph Wagner around 1760–65 in South Staffordshire, England, exemplifies the British passion for refined tea culture during the Georgian era. Made of enamel on copper—a durable medium where finely ground glass pigments are painted onto the metal base and fired in a kiln to create vibrant, translucent colors—this piece stands at nearly 19 inches tall. South Staffordshire was a hub for such painted enamels, rivaling continental workshops in Bilston and Battersea, and Wagner's work reflects the technical mastery needed to achieve jewel-like finishes resistant to wear. The urn's surface features charming pastoral vignettes, including men and women near wells, frolicking sheep, and classical urns, evoking idyllic rural scenes popular in Rococo decorative arts. These motifs blend whimsy with symbolism—wells suggesting refreshment, sheep pastoral harmony—perfect for a gentleman's drawing room or tea table. As a functional yet luxurious object, gifted to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1964, it highlights 18th-century Britain's social rituals, where tea urns became status symbols amid rising imports of Chinese tea. A delightful survivor of everyday elegance, it invites us to savor the artistry behind a simple cup.

About the Artist

Joseph Wagner · 1706–1780

Joseph Wagner (1706–1780) was a highly accomplished German engraver and draughtsman who spent the majority of his career in Venice, where he became one of the most important figures in eighteenth-century Venetian printmaking. Born in Thalendorf near Lake Constance in 1706, Wagner initially trained as a painter under the Venetian-born artist Jacopo Amigoni before being persuaded to dedicate himself...