Cup and saucer 1760 - 1770

This cup and saucer was produced by the Real Fábrica de Buen Retiro, a royal porcelain factory near Madrid. It's a striking example of the ways in which even the most domestic objects can reflect powerful social and political dynamics. The scene depicted on the porcelain is overtly militaristic: men in uniform in the midst of battle. The context is almost certainly the Spanish aristocracy. The royal factory, like many of its counterparts across Europe, existed to produce wares that would embody and broadcast the wealth and power of the Spanish crown. These porcelains were made to be displayed and used by the elite, and the imagery would have served to reinforce their sense of status and authority. The scene serves to remind us that even the most seemingly innocuous objects can be deeply embedded in systems of power. To truly understand this cup and saucer, one could research the history of the Real Fábrica de Buen Retiro, the iconography of Spanish military imagery, and the social history of porcelain consumption in 18th-century Europe. It’s this interplay of art and social context that brings history to life.