Cup 1735 - 1745

This porcelain cup, standing at 3 3/4 inches tall, was crafted in Vienna, Austria, although the exact date remains unknown. The delicate monochrome painting depicts an imagined vision of China. During the 18th century, Europe was seized by "chinoiserie," a fascination with an imagined, exoticized "Orient." Luxury goods like porcelain became potent symbols of trade, wealth and empire. This cup, like so many decorative objects of the time, speaks to the power dynamics between Europe and the East. The architecture and the landscape are not quite real, not quite Chinese, but a Western fantasy. It is a vision steeped in both desire and a sense of cultural superiority. As you turn the cup in your hands, consider how it reflects the complex relationship between cultural appropriation and artistic expression. It invites us to reflect on the power of representation, and the emotions that arise when we examine cross-cultural encounters.