Teapot 1730 - 1740

This porcelain teapot was made by the Meissen Manufactory in Germany, a leading producer of European porcelain. The decoration imitates East Asian styles. The figures in 'Chinese' dress reflect Europe’s fascination with Asia during this period. Images like this tell us about early global trade, the rise of merchant capitalism, and the way cultural exchange was mediated by power. Meissen was the first to discover the formula for hard-paste porcelain, previously a jealously guarded Chinese secret. The European market for tea-drinking paraphernalia was strong and it shows how the institutions of manufacturing drove stylistic change. Historical research into Meissen's production and distribution networks, the social history of tea consumption in Europe, and the artistic conventions of chinoiserie, will reveal the complex interplay between artistic expression and social context.