Cup and Saucer 1772

This cup and saucer were produced by the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, using a painstaking process. The first stage was the preparation of the kaolin-rich clay. Once the clay was shaped, it was fired at extremely high temperatures, a process that vitrifies the material. It could then be painted with mineral pigments, and then fired again to set the colors permanently. The vibrant cobalt blue seen here would have been particularly prized. It is set off by delicate gilding – real gold applied as a liquid. The idyllic scenes of birds perched amidst foliage would have been executed by specialist painters within the Sèvres factory, demonstrating considerable artistry. Although the cup and saucer are small, they are powerful emblems of a highly organized system of production. The division of labor required to make them, and the culture of connoisseurship that sustained the Sèvres factory, speak volumes about the era in which they were made. We can appreciate how “high art” and “craft” were both essential to their creation.