  
  About the Artwork
  
  
  Founded in 1710, Meissen (near Dresden) was the first European factory to produce hard-paste porcelain, in imitation of the Chinese and Japanese ceramics imported by the East India companies. Europeans in the eighteenth century made little distinction between the arts of China, Japan, Korea, and India, often combining elements of each in what later became known as &acirc;&#128;&#156;chinoiseries.&acirc;&#128;&#157; The introduction of chinoiseries at Meissen coincided with the arrival of the painter Johann Gregor H&Atilde;&para;roldt in 1720. At the request of Meissen's patron, Augustus the Strong, H&Atilde;&para;roldt imitated the decoration of Japanese porcelain, though in the form of whimsical chinoiseries rather than slavish copies.
As on this teapot, H&Atilde;&para;roldt portrayed fanciful Chinese figures engaged in daily activities, such as hunting or making tea, within atmospheric landscapes. Framing the scenes are elegant scroll-work cartouches of gilding and iron-red and luster enamels. Exotic flowers copied from Japanese Kakiemon porcelains are scattered over the remaining surface of the teapot. H&Atilde;&para;roldt&acirc;&#128;&#153;s design sketchbook (the Schulz Codex) was the primary source for Meissen's decorators during the height of chinoiserie at the factory, ca. 1720&acirc;&#128;&#147;40.
  
  
  Title
  Teapot
  
  
  Artwork Date
  1723 or 1724
  
  
  
  
  Makers
  
  
  Johann Gregor H&Atilde;&para;roldt  (Decorator)
  German, 1696-1775
  Meissen Porcelain Manufactory  (Manufacturer)
  German, founded 1710
  
  
  
  Medium
  Hard-paste porcelain, vitreous enamel, gold; silver-gilt mounts
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 5 &Atilde;&#151; 4 1/4 &Atilde;&#151; 6 1/2 inches (12.7 &Atilde;&#151; 10.8 &Atilde;&#151; 16.5 cm)
  
  
  
  Classification
  Ceramics
  
  
  Department
  European Sculpture and Dec Arts
  
  
  Credit
  Founders Society Purchase, gift of Ruth Nugent Head and City of Detroit, by exchange
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum&acirc;&#128;&#153;s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems&acirc;&#128;&#148;no longer assigned&acirc;&#128;&#148;that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  1992.43
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
  
  
  
