Coffee Pot

The coffee pot is made of high-quality hard-paste porcelain and has a cylindrical body. It is fitted with a shaped handle with a high curved profile and a long, curved spout. The original lid is missing.

The surface is covered with white glaze and decorated with restrained Neoclassical-style painting. The decoration consists of thin gilt bands, a blue frieze, and small floral motifs evenly distributed over the body. The refined combination of a white ground, gilding, and delicate polychrome ornament is characteristic of the products of the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory in the late 18^th century.

The Vienna Porcelain Manufactory was one of the most renowned porcelain manufacturers in Europe in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. It operated in Vienna from 1718 to 1864 and was the second enterprise in Central Europe, after Meissen, to master the production of hard-paste porcelain.

The manufactory was founded by the court official Claudius Innocentius du Paquier. In 1744, the enterprise became state-owned and operated under the patronage of the Habsburg dynasty. During this period, Vienna porcelain gained widespread recognition among European aristocracy and royal courts.

Vienna Manufactory wares are characterised by elegant forms, high-quality porcelain paste, and rich artistic decoration. Its craftsmen produced tableware and tea services, vases, decorative plates, sculptural compositions, and interior furnishings. Objects decorated with hand-painted designs, gilding, floral compositions, mythological scenes, and copies of paintings by renowned artists became particularly popular.

In the second half of the 18^th century, the manufactory’s production reflected the influence of the Rococo style. In the 19^th century, the manufactory reached a high level of artistic craftsmanship; however, increasing competition from industrial porcelain manufacturers and the high cost of hand labour contributed to its gradual decline. Production was officially discontinued in 1864.

Today, objects produced by the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory are preserved in leading museums around the world and are regarded as valuable examples of European decorative arts.

Provenance: From the museum collection, acquired before the Second World War.