Seven Designs for Decorated Cups 1845 - 1855

Editor: Here we have Alfred Henry Forrester’s "Seven Designs for Decorated Cups," created between 1845 and 1855. It’s a watercolor and coloured-pencil drawing showing different ideas for cup designs. I'm immediately struck by how ornate and impractical these seem for everyday use. What catches your eye about these designs? Curator: Oh, impracticality is part of the charm, isn't it? Like a porcelain unicorn grazing on a velvet lawn – purely decorative, bordering on fantastical. They almost feel like illustrations from a fairytale about a tea party in Wonderland. The deep blues, juxtaposed with the white porcelain, it’s pure visual confectionary. Editor: A fairytale, that’s interesting! So, were these ever intended to actually be made into real cups, or were they more of an artistic exercise? Curator: I suspect it was a bit of both. There’s a clear interest in current fashions in porcelain, and Forrester was likely pitching design ideas, hoping one would stick. It's worth considering the influence of the industrial revolution at this time; these kinds of ornate decorations become more readily possible with new manufacturing techniques, right? Also, do you notice how contained they are, within that larger page? Like captured dreams. Editor: Yeah, I do see that. Almost like a little mood board. They feel precious, now that you mention them being contained. Curator: Exactly! Each cup a little jewel of design. Thinking about that larger page, to me, becomes an intimate window into Forrester’s imagination, which is now forever preserved within the Met! Editor: Well, that definitely reframes how I see these designs. I was so focused on their surface appearance before. Curator: Isn't that the joy of it, though? We both looked at the same designs, took them on an adventure, and they each revealed new aspects of themselves to us.