Cup and Saucer
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
cup confirmed: 2 7/16 × 3 3/16 × 2 3/8 in. (6.2 × 8.1 × 6 cm) saucer confirmed: 1 1/8 × 5 5/16 × 5 5/16 in. (2.9 × 13.5 × 13.5 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Austrian, Vienna
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Charles E. Sampson Memorial Fund and funds from various donors, 2019
Accession Number
2019.227.1, .2
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This delicate porcelain cup and saucer, created in 1804 at Vienna’s Imperial Porcelain Manufactory, reflects the refined elegance of early nineteenth-century Austrian decorative arts. Matthias Niedermayer, working within this prestigious state-sponsored workshop, contributed to a tradition of fine ceramics that had flourished since the factory’s founding in 1718. As a product of imperial patronage, such pieces were prized for their technical precision and subtle sophistication, often intended for aristocratic or diplomatic use. Porcelain’s significance in European culture cannot be overstated; its translucency and strength made it a luxurious alternative to earlier earthenware and a symbol of technological mastery. The modest scale of this set—roughly the size of a modern espresso cup—suggests it was designed for intimate moments of refreshment, its smooth surfaces likely enhanced by delicate painting or gilding typical of Viennese production at the time. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in 2019, the cup and saucer now offers visitors a tangible connection to the refined daily rituals and artistic ambitions of Habsburg-era Vienna.
About the Artist
Matthias Niedermayer|Imperial Porcelain Manufactory ( | ) · |1744 – |1864
|Vienna, 1744–1864