Teapot 1720 - 1727

This is a porcelain teapot with cover, made around the 1720s in Venice by the Vezzi Factory. The production of porcelain in eighteenth-century Europe was driven by mercantile and nationalistic goals. European factories sought to reproduce the secrets of Chinese porcelain, a luxury good that was in high demand and the preserve of the elites. The Vezzi factory, the first Venetian hard-paste porcelain manufacturer, was founded with state support. Here, the delicate blue decoration imitates Chinese blue-and-white ware, while the moulded sprigs of foliage are a European addition. This teapot speaks to the power of institutions and international trade in shaping artistic production, and the fascination with Asian art and culture at this time. By consulting trade records and the archives of porcelain factories, we can begin to understand how consumer demand shaped artistic styles and production practices. This object becomes meaningful when we examine the economic, social, and institutional contexts that made it possible.