Vase with cover 1720 - 1735

This covered vase was made at the Meissen Manufactory, the first European factory to produce hard-paste porcelain, a jealously guarded secret previously known only in China. The floral decoration in the Kakiemon style reflects the European craze for Asian ceramics in the 18th century. The vase speaks to the dynamics of cross-cultural exchange and artistic emulation that defined the period, but also to the economic conditions that shaped artistic production. Meissen was established under royal patronage to generate revenue for the state. Such vases adorned aristocratic collections, embodying wealth, taste, and power. To understand the vase more fully, one could examine the Meissen factory archives, trade records, and the inventories of noble houses. Art history reveals how aesthetics, commerce, and social status intertwine, reminding us that art's meaning is always rooted in its time.