Ecuelle and saucer

Object NameCovered soup bowl and saucer (also called Ecuelle )

Manufacturer Meissen (German, founded 1710)

Datec. 1745

OriginGermany

MediumPorcelain

DimensionsCovered Bowl: 4 1/2 × 4 3/8 in. diameter(11.4 × 11.1 cm) Plate: 1 × 7 5/8 in. diameter (2.5 × 19.4 cm)

ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Ceramics

Credit LineGift of Ann and Henry Brunnier. In the Ann and Henry Brunnier Collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number2.6.22abc

Status

Not on view

Collections

Decorative Arts

CultureGerman

Label TextThe écuelle, a covered soup bowl, can trace its earlier production to the silversmith. Sometimes on a stand, the écuelle and saucer were usually made and sold separately from a service, making them a practical choice as a collector’s or gift item that could be adapted into porcelain. European-made true porcelain had only been in existence since the early eighteenth century when it was first produced by Meissen in 1710. One of the distinguishing characteristics of true porcelains was its color, or more accurately, lack of color. Flawless white was the standard set by Chinese porcelains, which Meissen successfully replicated and accentuated in design. Yet with the invention of new enamel grounds in the period 1725 to 1730, popular trends turned toward color. Meissen’s mastery of color is illustrated in this écuelle with its light lavender ground, covering most of the porcelain. Produced during the Rococo period, the design emphasizes nature featuring apples, a turnip and a botanical anomaly of two onions on a leafy stem. Like the fruits and vegetables, the deutsche blumen, or German flowers, are painted with conscientious care for botanical accuracy. The surfaces of lid and bowl of the écuelle echo the Rococo style with a basketwork pattern called new osier, in which the ribs are characteristically s-shaped.

MarkingsIn underglaze blue, the Meissen trademark on cup and plate.

Locations