Hexagonal Balustrade Tea Caddy
Classification
ceramics
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor Garnier Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-40-45-a,b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 18th-century European luxury with the *Hexagonal Balustrade Caddy*, crafted by renowned Meissen Porcelain Manufactory Germany between 1725 and 1740. As one of Europe's pioneering porcelain producers—active since 1710—Meissen revolutionized the decorative arts by mastering hard-paste porcelain, a secret long guarded by Chinese artisans. This hexagonal caddy, shaped like a balustrade railing, exemplifies the manufactory's early mastery of intricate forms in ceramics, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum thanks to the gift of Eleanor Garnier Hewitt. Te...