Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 145

Tea Bowl

ca. 1720-1727 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This tiny tea bowl indicates how special and expensive tea was in the early 1700s. It was consumed increasingly as part of social gatherings and valued for its medicinal qualities as well as for refreshment. The shape and decoration imitate Chinese examples.

This particular item bears the 'Venezia' mark, making it an important documentary piece from this factory, despite its small size. Pieces made at Vezzi, the earliest Venetian factory, are in any case rare, as it was in production for less than ten years.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain painted with underglaze blue and enamels
Brief description
Tea bowl of hard-paste porcelain, painted with underglaze blue with enamel details, Vezzi porcelain factory, Venice, ca. 1720-1727.
Physical description
Teabowl of hard-paste porcelain painted in underglaze blue with enamel details in red and lime green. Of shallow oriental shape, everted at the rim and raised on a foot rim, and decorated with vignettes of leaves and flowers alternating with small grouped towers and large exotic birds in flight. Inside the base is a small flowering plant, also in underglaze blue with details in red enamel, and a single blue line inside the rim.
Dimensions
  • Height: 3.5cm
  • Diameter: 7.3cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Venezia' (On the base, inscribed in underglaze blue)
Gallery label
CUP Porcelain Mark: "VENEZIA", in underglaze blue ITALY (VENICE, VEZZI); 1720-7 Gift of Mr A. L. B. Ashton through the National Art-Collections Fund C.92-1928 (Label draft attributed to John V. G. Mallet, ca. 1995)(ca. 1995)
Credit line
Given by A.L.B. Ashton, Esq. through Art Fund
Object history
The 'Venezia' mark makes this a rare documentary piece of early 18th century Italian porcelain.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This tiny tea bowl indicates how special and expensive tea was in the early 1700s. It was consumed increasingly as part of social gatherings and valued for its medicinal qualities as well as for refreshment. The shape and decoration imitate Chinese examples.

This particular item bears the 'Venezia' mark, making it an important documentary piece from this factory, despite its small size. Pieces made at Vezzi, the earliest Venetian factory, are in any case rare, as it was in production for less than ten years.
Collection
Accession number
C.92-1928

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Record createdJanuary 20, 2009
Record URL
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