Cup and saucer 1745 - 1755

This cup and saucer were manufactured by Meissen, the first European factory to produce porcelain, sometime in the 18th century. Meissen porcelain became a status symbol across Europe, and this set speaks to the relationship between art, commerce, and social aspiration. The figures depicted in monochrome on the cup and saucer are not members of the aristocracy, but instead represent the pastoral fantasy that was so fashionable at the time. The rural idyll was a frequent theme of paintings and decorative arts objects in the eighteenth century, providing relief from the formality of court life. To truly understand this object, it would be helpful to examine the Meissen factory’s records and pattern books. These kinds of archival materials provide valuable insight into the aspirations and the market forces that shaped artistic production in the 1700s.