Two-handled beaker and saucer
1720–25
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen with German, Augsburg decoration
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Lesley and Emma Sheafer Collection, Bequest of Emma A. Sheafer, 1973
Accession Number
1974.356.477, .478
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Two-handled beaker and saucer* from the Meissen Manufactory, crafted between 1720 and 1725. As one of Europe's pioneering producers of hard-paste porcelain—a true technical marvel that rivaled the finest Chinese imports— this German piece exemplifies the early 18th-century race to unlock the secrets of true porcelain. Made at Meissen near Dresden, it features decoration from Augsburg workshops, blending masterful potting with vibrant overglaze enamels. Adorned in the whimsical Chinoiserie style, the beaker and saucer depict elegant men in fantastical Oriental scenes, a E...
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...