Coffeepot (part of a service) 1743 - 1759

This porcelain coffeepot was made as part of a larger service at the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory in Italy, sometime between 1740 and 1759. The imagery on the pot depicts a violent scene of soldiers pillaging a town. Porcelain manufactories like Capodimonte were often patronized by royalty and the upper classes. The decoration of this coffeepot, however, shows us a glimpse into the anxieties of the time. The War of the Austrian Succession was raging across Europe. This type of tableware was used in intimate social settings, like the home, and may speak to the disruption of domestic life caused by war. If we want to understand more about the social impact of the war on Naples, historical documents, such as letters and diaries, might help us understand how people experienced the conflict in their daily lives.