coffee cup

coffee cup , 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Where object was made: China

Material/technique: famille rose; porcelain

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 1928.1733.03

Not on display

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In the 19th and into the early-20th century, wealthy Europeans and Americans frequently bought Asian and European porcelain for both functional and decorative purposes. This porcelain coffee cup is one in a set of 26 cups, saucers, and bowls with matching decorations painted with an opaque pink enamel known as “famille rose.” This rose-colored enamel was developed around 1720 and was applied to Chinese porcelain traded to Europe to appeal to the European taste for softer colors. This style of Chinese porcelain remained in high demand for well over a century within Europe.

What colors are popular today?

Does color influence what you choose to collect, which spaces you occupy, or what you wear?

What meanings might you give to these colors and what might they indicate about modern times, or about your own identities?

Sallie Casey Thayer bought this porcelain either for use as a tea and coffee service or for display. How do you think this cup has been used in the past? What evidence do you find to suggest its use? What would you choose to do with it, and why?

Civic Leader and Art Collector: Sallie Casey Thayer and an Art Museum for KU

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, affluent Europeans and Americans frequently purchased Asian and European porcelain for display and use. Part of a set collected by Sallie Casey Thayer, this coffee cup is one of 26 cups, saucers, and bowls with corresponding decorations painted with an opaque, pink enamel known as “famille rose.” Applied to Chinese porcelain exported to Europe, this rose-colored enamel was developed around 1720 to appeal to European taste for softer colors and remained in high demand for well over a century.

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