Saucer with a bouquet and flower sprays 1809

This is a porcelain saucer, decorated with painted flowers, created by the Kaiserliche Porzellanmanufaktur. Think about the hands that made this piece. Porcelain production involved many artisans, each contributing a part. These objects were not just functional; they were markers of status and taste, adorning the tables of the wealthy. The painted flowers bring nature indoors, a controlled and stylized version of the natural world. Consider the floral motifs themselves, a bouquet of European garden flowers. These flowers were not chosen randomly, but for their symbolic meanings. What did it mean to present such a bouquet? What social rituals did this saucer enable? This saucer whispers stories of social class, labor, and the intimate rituals of daily life. It invites us to reflect on the beauty and the complex social structures it represents.