Cup and saucer (gobelet à lait et soucoupe) 1747 - 1757

Curator: This exquisite porcelain cup and saucer was produced by the Vincennes Manufactory, sometime between 1747 and 1757. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Oh, how lovely! It’s delicate, charming even, with those soft avian figures offset against the intense blue. It's precisely what one imagines when one thinks of Rococo decorative art. Curator: Indeed. The hard-paste porcelain itself, a relatively new technology in France at this time, was of immense importance. It meant France could compete with the established Meissen factory and others who were benefitting greatly from their near-monopoly in ceramic production. The cobalt blue ground color, known as bleu lapis, was highly prized and costly. Editor: Blue often is connected with royalty, wealth, or heaven... There’s such an artful interplay here, contrasting the handcrafted elegance of the porcelain and detailed paintings with implications of privilege and the elitist culture that fueled such craftsmanship. Were pieces like this truly functional, or mostly for show? Curator: Undoubtedly pieces like this one were destined for elite consumption. The cup’s handle is so fine that prolonged use would certainly cause breakage. That said, these pieces showcase an incredible attention to material and labor; for instance, note the careful application of gilding around the reserves and rims. The labor and skills of these artists is often forgotten, and reduced to mere 'decoration'. Editor: You’re right; it's so important to remember the humans behind it. The birds themselves almost become symbolic of the delicate position of the artisans creating these luxuries for an insular class, not realizing the revolution brewing just outside the palace gates. Curator: Absolutely. Thinking about the production, it's fascinating how this cup and saucer also challenges conventional artistic boundaries by elevating something like functional ceramics into high art. Editor: I agree, it underscores art's embeddedness within sociopolitical currents and labor hierarchies. This cup is pretty and politically charged, just a seemingly harmless thing, and yet brimming with meaning! Curator: Looking at this “gobelet à lait et soucoupe” reminds me that objects can speak volumes about those who made them, bought them, and, ultimately, what we, today, value in holding onto them. Editor: For me, this small cup serves as a prompt: to continually investigate how histories of art and craftsmanship intersect with dynamics of power and identity.