Teapot
ca. 1745
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Overall: 4 7/16 × 3 3/4 × 7 in. (11.3 × 9.5 × 17.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Helena Woolworth McCann Collection, Gift of Winfield Foundation, 1957
Accession Number
57.172a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant teapot from the Meissen Manufactory, circa 1745, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century European porcelain artistry. Crafted in hard-paste porcelain—a revolutionary material developed by Meissen in 1710, the first in Europe to rival fine Chinese imports—the piece measures a compact 4 7/16 × 3 3/4 × 7 inches, perfect for intimate tea gatherings among the aristocracy. Meissen's workshops in Germany flourished under August III, producing luxurious tableware in the exuberant Rococo style, characterized by playful motifs and intricate detailing. This teapot likely features whimsical...
About the Artist
Meissen Manufactory · 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...