Exquisite litron cup and saucer, Vienna

Exquisite litron cup and matching saucer with blue ground and gilded ornements influenced by the “retour d’Egypte” movement. Excellent condition.

Size: H cup 6 cm – diameter saucer 13,5 cm

Royal manufactory of Vienna, the white are dated 1807 and 1808.

In 1718, Claudius Innocentius du Paquier took an immense risk and brought back from Meissen to Vienna the secret of how to make porcelain. In recognition of his achievements, Emperor Karl VI granted him the special privilege of being Vienna’s first and only porcelain manufacturer. In 1744, the Manufactory was taken under Imperial ownership by Empress Maria Theresia. Since then, the blue-striped shield from the coat of arms of the Dukes of Austria underneath the glaze was used to confirm authenticity. The production followed the latest Rocaille trend. The Manufactory enjoyed a golden age between 1784 and 1805 under the management of Conrad Sörgel von Sorgenthal. This “artistic period” of Classicism celebrated the return to straight lines and artistic styles from the Antiquity. During the Biedermeier era, Viennese porcelain became a status symbol for the aspiring middle classes.
The national and international competition forced the famous company to close down in 1864. Its extensive collection of designs was donated to the Museum of Art and Industry, (now the MAK).