Name/Title

Teacups

Entry/Object ID

1981.9.4 A-F

Description

Six porcelain footed teacups from coffee and tea set. The design incorporates a wide forest green band decorated with rose-colored floral forms and gold leaf sprays on a stark white ground. The interior is plain aside for a small gold target on the bottom center and a gold band on the top.

Context

These teacups come from a china set known as the "Lafayette China." South Carolina governor Richard Irvine Manning I (1789-1836) acquired the porcelain for the Marquis de Lafayette's (1757-1834) visit to the state in 1825. A French aristocrat and military officer, Lafayette volunteered to join the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and ultimately commanded troops during the decisive Seige of Yorktown. After the war, Lafayette returned to France where he became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789. Very popular before the Civil War in affluent southern homes, "Old Paris" porcelain was commonly created in or around Paris, France. Made of a hard-paste porcelain, the pieces are heavily gilded and ornately painted.

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1820

Place

City

Paris, France

Dimensions

Height

3 in

Diameter

2-3/4 in

Material

Ceramic