Cup 1720 - 1725

This delicate cup was made in Germany by the Meissen Manufactory, though we don’t know exactly when. Meissen was the first to discover the formula for hard-paste porcelain outside of China, and their creations became emblems of elite status in Europe. The pierced, lattice-like design, which seems to anticipate the visual language of modernism, speaks to porcelain’s preciousness and the skill of Meissen’s artisans. But its fragility also hinted at the social fragility of the aristocracy which purchased most of Meissen’s porcelain. The decorative arts can offer all sorts of social insights to the diligent researcher, from account books to records of factory production. By placing art objects in their proper context we learn so much more about the culture that created them.