Cup 1735 - 1745

This cup was made at the Meissen Manufactory, which was established near Dresden, Germany in 1710. It’s made of hard-paste porcelain, the first European factory to successfully produce it. The cup is incredibly thin and light, with a slightly translucent quality which required skilled throwing on a wheel, then high-temperature firing. Note the silver lustre on the outside. This surface would have demanded an additional firing, under carefully controlled conditions. But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the cup is its decoration. Rather than the more common floral motifs, we see a crest, and a scene with people and horses. These were probably painted by a specialist, working from an engraving. Meissen was one of the first factories to fully embrace the division of labor, allowing for a high level of refinement and mass production. The use of porcelain elevates the status of this everyday object. It represents luxury, trade, and the socio-economic forces that shaped early 18th-century Europe.