Mug 1725 - 1740

Editor: Okay, next up we have a porcelain mug from 1725-1740, made by the Saint-Cloud factory. It's giving major Rococo vibes with those cute little flowers and the whimsical handle. It’s a cheerful little thing! I’m curious though… what sort of story does it whisper to you? Curator: Oh, it sings to me of courtly intrigue and stolen moments over milky tea! Can’t you just picture some powdered wig whispering secrets over this very mug? The bright yellow would have been quite the statement piece. It is incredibly delightful, a little visual poem. It even makes me think, were these potters inspired by Chinese porcelain, which was all the rage at the time? Editor: I hadn't thought about the Chinese influence! So, that explains the flowers. Is the bright yellow colour significant in that context? Curator: Absolutely! Yellow was often associated with the imperial court in China. By adopting it, Saint-Cloud was subtly aligning themselves with that sense of luxury and exclusivity. Plus, in the rather buttoned-up Europe of the 1700s, it was pure sunshine and optimism, right? Does it bring to your mind other things? It even feels playful. Editor: Yeah, the playful, irregular flowers scattered around keep the yellow from feeling too serious or formal. It’s luxurious but fun. That Rococo spirit, maybe? Curator: Precisely. It's luxury with a wink. What do you make of the branch-like handle? Editor: The branch handle! That’s just pure fancy. It is like bringing nature inside but elevating it. It makes me happy to have noticed so many things. Curator: Exactly. Each time you look at an object like this, you begin to unpack a little something else!