Coffee cup and saucer
ca.1750
The lush still-life subjects of fruit on these wares pay homage to the rich agricultural valleys near Naples, where the Capodimonte factory was founded. Princess Maria Amalia, the granddaughter of Augustus the Strong, the great patron of the Meissen factory, arrived for her wedding to Charles, King of Naples, with a dowry that included no fewer than seventeen Meissen porcelain table services. The founding of a porcelain factory became a goal of the royal couple in addition to their patronage of other aspects of the decorative arts. Their factory was founded on the grounds of the royal palace at Capodimonte in 1743. Charles also founded an academy of design and a tapestry factory. Porcelain, after hunting, became his passion.
Soft paste porcelain
3 1/8 in. (8 cm), cup height
2 5/8 in. (6.67 cm), cup diameter
3 3/8 in. (8.57 cm), cup width
1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm), saucer height
5 1/8 in. (13 cm), saucer diameter
Dorothy Condon Falknor Collection of European Ceramics
87.142.62