Butter dish with cover 18th century

Curator: Welcome! Before us is an 18th-century butter dish with a cover, crafted by the renowned Meissen Manufactory. It is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It's charming, isn’t it? The fluted edge, the delicate floral details, that pronounced asymmetry - quite characteristic of the Rococo. Curator: Absolutely. Note how the piece embodies the Rococo style. Look closely at the porcelain, the main medium of its creation. We should also not forget about its intended place on the table. Editor: You’re right, there is something very performative about porcelain in the 18th century and this specific piece. It’s designed to be seen, admired, touched, and a vessel. The soft, rounded form contrasts beautifully with the crisp white porcelain, and then softened more by hand painted flora motifs. It is quite the achievement. Curator: Indeed. Consider the material conditions, such as the sourcing of Kaolin to Europe from China to create porcelain. The skills needed to create these porcelain works were also difficult to acquire. What do these limitations say about who would consume such luxuries as a butter dish such as this one? Editor: Exactly. The form enhances this, with its ornate sculptural flowers adorning the edge of the tray as well as its function; it isn’t merely decorative but has practical implications as it creates depth and compositional dynamism. This butter dish’s beauty arises from how seamlessly the artist marries the aesthetic with the material and structural aspects. Curator: So, next time you reach for your favorite dairy spread, ponder on what sort of historical implications even the humble butter dish had during this historical period! Editor: Indeed. In essence, the visual analysis allows one to grasp what is unique about it and how we continue to feel delighted by the object hundreds of years later.