Pitcher 1725 - 1740

This small pitcher was made by the Chantilly manufactory, likely in the 1700s, from soft-paste porcelain. This material, developed in France, was meant to mimic fine Chinese porcelain, but it wasn't quite as strong. You can see a certain delicacy in its form, a slight undulation of the surface, and the translucency of the material. The pitcher is decorated with hand-painted floral motifs in the Kakiemon style, named after a Japanese potter. This reflects the global taste for Asian ceramics at the time. It took the labor of many hands to make this piece, from the person mixing the clay, to the one throwing it on the wheel, to the painters who added the decoration. The high level of skill required is also a reminder that objects like this were luxury goods, and the preserve of a privileged elite. Considering the labor and the materials involved, we can appreciate that this small pitcher encapsulates the social and economic world of its time.