Kop van theeservies c. 1784

This is a porcelain teacup, its maker based in Loosdrecht, Netherlands. Though undated, its style, especially its delicate floral design, speaks to the late eighteenth century and the rise of the bourgeois domestic sphere. During this period, the rituals of tea drinking became increasingly popular amongst the middle classes as social and economic mobility grew, and the home became a display for good taste and gentility. A tea set such as this one was part of this movement, porcelain being a signifier of wealth and refinement. We see this cultural context reflected in the cup’s design, which creates meaning through visual codes. Art historians look into a wide range of source materials, from trade records to household inventories, in order to reconstruct the social and institutional contexts for objects like this one. In this way, we can better understand art as something contingent on its specific historical moment.