Coffeepot (part of a service) 1760 - 1765

This Coffeepot is part of a service made by the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory. This delicate vessel speaks volumes about 18th-century life. Porcelain was then the ultimate luxury material in Europe, and demanded a complex manufacturing process. Fine kaolin clay was mixed, shaped, and fired at high temperatures. The handle was probably cast, the body slip-cast, and then luted together with more clay. Finally, the floral decoration would have been hand-painted by skilled artisans. The coffeepot’s slim form and refined decoration reflect the rituals of elite consumption. Coffee was more than just a drink, it was a social performance, and porcelain like this elevated the experience, projecting refinement and wealth. Think of the many hands that touched this object, from the miners extracting the raw materials to the painters adding the final touches. Porcelain reveals a dense network of labor and global trade, all captured in this beautiful, yet functional, form.