Tea Cup and Saucer 1765 - 1770

This tea cup and saucer were made by the Worcester Porcelain Works, a company that began in 1751, and is still around today. The making of porcelain is an amazing technical achievement, involving careful mixing of clay, precise shaping on a wheel, and, of course, the alchemy of firing in a kiln. The translucent quality of the ceramic, combined with the delicate hand-painted decoration, speak to a culture of refinement and taste. The patterns of birds and butterflies, the gilding, and the cobalt blue details all signal that this was an object for the wealthy. Tea itself was also an imported luxury commodity. So, in a very real sense, this cup and saucer embodies the global economy of the 18th century. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the skilled labor of workers at the Worcester factory. Considering those hands that made this object is a way to remember that fine art and craft are always the result of human effort and skill.