Coffee cup (part of a service) 1760 - 1765

This porcelain coffee cup was made by the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, which was established in Germany in 1747. The cup and saucer are decorated with gilded patterns and painted scenes, reflecting the rococo tastes of the European aristocracy. These kinds of luxury goods developed at a time when Europe’s economy was expanding due to colonialism and global trade. Porcelain production depended on a global network for raw materials and markets. This cup bears witness to the lifestyle of wealthy Europeans, who consumed coffee, tea and chocolate imported from abroad. The cup's decoration, like the clothing of the figures in the painted scene, signals its owner's place in the upper echelons of society. The scenes and floral ornaments are markers of class and taste. We can understand the social and economic conditions that shaped such objects by consulting historical records like trade statistics, colonial archives, and the records of porcelain manufacturers such as Nymphenburg. Such research illuminates how art is always embedded in a specific social and institutional context.