Cup (part of a service) 1743 - 1759

This delicate porcelain cup was crafted in the mid-18th century by the Capodimonte Porcelain Manufactory in Italy. A seemingly innocuous object, it reflects the complex intersection of trade, power, and representation during the Enlightenment. The cup is decorated with scenes of battle, evoking the exoticism of the Ottoman Empire, a prevalent theme during this era. These images weren't just decorative; they were part of a broader European fascination with and often, a misrepresentation of the ‘Orient’. Consider the hands that shaped this cup, the worldviews that informed its imagery, and the elite consumers who sipped from it. What narratives were being consumed along with the tea or coffee? How did these images reinforce or challenge existing power structures? This cup reminds us that even the most refined objects can be implicated in complex histories of cultural exchange and domination. It invites us to consider the stories we tell ourselves through the things we create and consume.