Cup and Saucer
ca. 1735-1740 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
When coffee drinking was still a novelty in Europe tall cups and beakers were normally used for it, firstly made in metal (usually silver) and later on in porcelain and pottery. This shape of this Meissen coffee cup and saucer is quite rare as it has been specially adapted to enable the coffee to be poured into the saucer, presumably to allow the liquid to cool more quickly to a suitable temperature. The decoration imitates Chinese (Batavian ware) teacups and saucers.
The tradition of coffee drinking originated in Ethiopia and only spread to Europe during the 1600s via the Middle East.
The tradition of coffee drinking originated in Ethiopia and only spread to Europe during the 1600s via the Middle East.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Hard-paste porcelain, decorated with a brown ground and painted in underglaze blue enamels |
| Brief description | Coffee beaker and drinking saucer of porcelain with a lustrous brown ground, and painted inside in underglaze blue, Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, ca. 1735-40. |
| Physical description | Pouring teabowl and drinking saucer of hard-paste porcelain with a lustrous brown ground and underglaze blue decoration in Chinese style. |
| Marks and inscriptions | Crossed swords and four dots (In underglaze blue) |
| Credit line | From the Arthur and Hilde Weiner Collection. Accepted by HM Government in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the V&A, 2006 |
| Object history | Formerly in the Arthur and Hilde Weiner Collection. |
| Historical context | The decoration imitates Chinese 'Batavian' wares. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | When coffee drinking was still a novelty in Europe tall cups and beakers were normally used for it, firstly made in metal (usually silver) and later on in porcelain and pottery. This shape of this Meissen coffee cup and saucer is quite rare as it has been specially adapted to enable the coffee to be poured into the saucer, presumably to allow the liquid to cool more quickly to a suitable temperature. The decoration imitates Chinese (Batavian ware) teacups and saucers. The tradition of coffee drinking originated in Ethiopia and only spread to Europe during the 1600s via the Middle East. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.68:1, 2-2006 |
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| Record created | April 23, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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