Cup 1730 - 1745

This porcelain cup was made by the Chantilly manufactory, though its precise date remains unconfirmed. The delicate floral design reflects the broader European fascination with East Asian aesthetics during its time. France, like many European powers, eagerly imported porcelain from China and Japan. However, the high cost and limited availability spurred local production. Factories like Chantilly sought to replicate the coveted designs, adapting them to European tastes. The flowers seen here mimic those found on Kakiemon ware from Japan, but are rendered in a lighter, more Rococo style. By analyzing the cup’s form, decoration, and the historical records of the Chantilly factory, one can trace the complex web of trade, artistic exchange, and aristocratic consumption that shaped European art in this period. It also serves to remind us that the meaning and value of art are inseparable from the social and institutional contexts in which it is made and used.