Cup from a tea service for twelve 1807 - 1808

This is a porcelain cup from a tea service for twelve, made by Christophe-Ferdinand Caron around the turn of the 19th century. As the French Revolution gave way to the Napoleonic Empire, French society underwent a transformation in values and aesthetics. Caron's teacup speaks to the vogue for Neoclassicism that valued simplicity and order, as evidenced in the bust of a Greek or Roman figure. The cup also acknowledges an emerging Romantic sensibility with its carefully observed fox in a landscape. It's a moment where the rational and the wild intersect. Consider the history embedded in this object. Tea drinking was deeply entwined with global trade and colonialism. The cup is an everyday object that was made for an elite consumer. It reminds us of the complex relationships between luxury, labor, and empire. The cup exists as both a functional object and a canvas for exploring identity and taste. In its delicate form, it invites us to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves through the objects we choose to surround ourselves with.