Tea cup c. 1774 - 1778

This delicate teacup was made in Loosdrecht, the Netherlands, its precise date unknown. The cup's decoration, with its soft pink glaze, gilt rim, and painted bird, speaks to the burgeoning culture of porcelain production in 18th-century Europe. At this time, porcelain was a luxury good, largely produced by royal factories such as Sèvres in France. The establishment of manufactories like Loosdrecht's reflects a broader economic shift, with entrepreneurial individuals and smaller companies entering the market. These producers often catered to a rising middle class eager to emulate aristocratic tastes. The bird motif, common in decorative arts, offered a touch of nature and refinement to the tea-drinking ritual. As historians, we can look to period documents like factory records, trade inventories, and even etiquette manuals to further understand the social life of this seemingly simple object. It's a reminder that even the most humble artifact carries within it a wealth of information about its time.