Bowl 1723 - 1735

This bowl was made at the Meissen Manufactory, likely in the 18th century, from hard-paste porcelain. This material is created by firing a mixture of kaolin clay and powdered alabaster at extremely high temperatures, resulting in a pure white, translucent ceramic. The bowl's surface is decorated with delicate scenes of birds and foliage, painted by hand with incredible precision. The smooth, glassy surface of the porcelain provides an ideal ground for the colorful enamel pigments, which fuse into the glaze during firing. Producing porcelain like this was technically demanding, and involved many skilled artisans, from the potters who shaped the bowl to the painters who decorated it. The Meissen factory was one of the first in Europe to master this complex process, and their wares were prized as luxury goods. Considering the materials, making, and social context of this bowl, one can appreciate the expertise involved in its production, and also question the hierarchies often imposed between art, craft, and design.