Wilhelmina en Wellington c. 1814

This is a porcelain coffee cup created around 1814 by Adrianus Johannes Bik. It features a profile portrait of Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, and Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, surrounded by a garland and inscribed “VICTOIRES DES NETHERLAND” (Victories of the Netherlands). The cup was likely made to commemorate the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the restoration of the Dutch monarchy. This decorative object is an excellent example of Dutch applied arts in the 19th century.