Cup and Saucer – Meissen Porcelain

I am a cup with no handle to lift me up, but I do have the support of my companion, a beautifully decorated saucer. (We are also referred to as a teabowl and saucer.) Our system of travel seems to have been successful since we started our journey from Augsburg, Germany, around 1720. And we are still here!

We were adorned with beautiful decorations of gold overlay, gilded in the workshop of Hausmale (house painter) Bartholomaus Seuter of Augsburg. During that time, craftsmen who worked out of their homes and small workshops were called Hausmale. These artists/craftsmen were often familiar with several branches of crafts. Bartholomaus and his brother Abraham were considered among the best house painters in Augsburg. His family was also known for copper engraving, goldsmithing, silk dyeing, and painting on fayence (tin-glazed pottery) and porcelain. Artists, not employed directly in the manufactory, received commissions for their work, such as those from the manufactory of August II The Strong of Saxony.

Today, we are safely resting in the Transition Exhibit at the entrance to the Meissen Gallery. Please stop by to see us and our companions the next time you visit our museum.