Cup and saucer

Horní Slavkov? Bohemia, ca. 1830

Partially glazed, painted and gilt porcelain.

H: 8.8 cm

Unsigned

UMP 7218

Egg-shaped footed cup, relief mascaron on the handle, colourful painting on the bisque body, inscribed with “Zum Andenken”. Porcelain objects had not yet become commonplace in the first half of the nineteenth century, and their prices were not negligible. The luxurious nature of porcelain, paired with a perfectly executed form and artistically rendered decoration, made this cup and saucer an exceptional souvenir which might have commemorated pleasant moments spent with pleasant company. It might have also contained a message in the language of flowers or mythology, or perhaps an inscription communicating the connection between friends or lovers. This cup from the Schlaggenwald manufactory represents an example of Biedermeier souvenir production.

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