Coffeepot 1735 - 1745

This is a porcelain coffeepot, just over five inches high, made at the Meissen Manufactory in Germany, sometime after 1710. Coffee arrived in Europe from the East and became the drink of the mercantile classes. Meissen was the first to discover the formula for hard-paste porcelain outside of China. Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, established the manufactory to keep the formula secret and compete with imported porcelain. The coffeepot’s exotic floral decoration signals its owner’s wealth and their familiarity with global trade networks. The coffeepot is more than just a functional object; it's a symbol of social status and cultural aspiration. To better understand this, we can delve into the archives of the Meissen Manufactory, tracing its production methods, marketing strategies, and its relationship to the court.