Chocolate cup (part of a service) 1720 - 1745

Curator: This is a "Chocolate cup (part of a service)" from the Meissen Manufactory, dating back to 1720-1745. It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: The porcelain seems incredibly delicate. Looking at the images rendered on the cup it seems as if intended to capture a serene, almost melancholy moment. Curator: Melancholy certainly fits the Rococo style's emphasis on fleeting moments and heightened emotionality. Notice the figure, elegantly posed and playing what looks to be a mandolin—or perhaps a lute? These elements create an allegory of courtly love and refinement that ties to the intellectual movement of the time. Editor: What intrigues me is the object's purpose. Drinking chocolate in such a finely wrought cup elevates a mundane action to an aristocratic ritual, and transforms the labor involved from worker to elite, considering that each component demands skilled artisanship, from the ceramic base to hand painted details. Who were the porcelain painters at Meissen? I suppose these are forgotten names? Curator: In many instances, you are absolutely correct; regrettably, numerous highly competent Meissen artists of the time have had their contribution overshadowed. Although difficult to see clearly on this particular cup, the decorative borders allude to stylized vines and floral patterns. I agree though; while the artisan may be largely lost to time, we get to inherit this beautiful creation which is why decorative pieces become treasured family heirlooms with symbolism transcending time and context. Editor: Perhaps the porcelain itself takes on greater significance, representing the fusion of skilled labor and social class. To have a collection, a set... it implies consumption and that only some could experience, creating distinction within this stratification. Even within a single object, so much production! Curator: Precisely. Even the form, so perfectly rendered, has a subtle symbolism and offers so many questions and layers to understand a culture, a specific context and that helps us project who we are into that inherited vision. Editor: That gives me a deeper appreciation for even this small piece. Curator: Indeed, an exquisite snapshot into history!