Cup with a personification of Abundance c. 1802

This is a porcelain cup with a personification of Abundance, made by the Kaiserliche Porzellanmanufaktur. Immediately striking is the cup's division into defined panels, each framed by a thick, gilded border that segments the visual narrative. One panel features a neoclassical figure, meticulously painted, that contrasts sharply with the stylized floral motifs in the adjacent panel. The composition plays with contrasting orders: the figure is contained within a naturalistic landscape, while the flowers exist in a decorative, almost abstract space. This juxtaposition destabilizes a clear reading of abundance. Is it a natural, overflowing bounty, or a carefully constructed, ornamental display? Note the handle’s angular form, an interruption in the otherwise curvilinear design. This cup invites us to consider how luxury objects function as signs, communicating status and cultural values through carefully calibrated visual codes. The structure of the cup itself becomes a microcosm of broader aesthetic and philosophical dialogues.