Teapot (part of a set)
ca. 1765
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1894
Accession Number
94.4.28a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 18-century European porcelain with this charming teapot from the Me Manufactory, circa 1765. Produced in Meissen, Germany—the cradle of Europe's first hard-paste porcelain 1710—this petite vessel (just 3 5/8 inches tall) exemplifies the manufactory's mastery of a material once rivaled only by prized Chinese imports. Hard-paste porcelain, fired at high temperatures for exceptional durability and translucency, allowed for intricate modeling and vibrant painting, making Meissen pieces coveted luxuries for aristocratic tables. Adorned with delicate scenes of women, ...
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...