Coffee service with flowers c. 1935

This coffee service with flowers was made by Pirkenhammer, using a process that combines industrial production with handcraft. The service is slip-cast in molds from liquid clay known as porcelain. The handles and spouts are carefully attached to the bodies of the vessels, then fired at high temperature to achieve a vitrified, translucent quality. At this point the decoration begins, with a pattern of simple blue flowers and gilded rims and handles applied by skilled painters and gilders. This combination of techniques speaks to porcelain’s history as a luxury material, once reserved for the elite. The production of porcelain has always involved intense global competition, and social issues. In factories like Pirkenhammer, specialized divisions of labor were put in place to improve speed and consistency. Looking at this coffee service, it’s important to consider the many hands that shaped its final form and function. We can understand it as an emblem of industrial production, but also as a testament to the enduring appeal of the handmade.