Cup and saucer 1760 - 1770

This porcelain cup and saucer was crafted by the Meissen Manufactory. Note the Rococo scene adorning it. Here, we see a lady sitting in nature. The lady is the dominant motif. The image of a seated woman, especially in a garden, recurs throughout history, echoing images of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. This motif can be traced to classical antiquity and is a symbol that represents beauty, fertility, and sensuality, a celebration of nature's bounty and feminine grace. However, unlike earlier examples, the woman here isn't a goddess. She is but a simple soul. In this way, this image marks a shift in the symbolic function of the female figure—away from the divine and toward the earthly, humanizing the sacred. The motif's cyclical progression continues, finding new life in everyday objects.