Coffee Cup
Dateca. 1770
OriginEurope, France, Apt
MediumLead-glazed earthenware (agateware)
DimensionsOverall: 2 1/8 × 2 1/16 × 2 7/8in. (5.4 × 5.2 × 7.3cm)
Credit LineGift of Tom and Trudy Moyles
Object number2022-36
DescriptionCylindrical agateware cup with pulled and applied handle, notched at top terminal; trimmed and stepped footring.Label TextThe tradition of potters mimicking the appearance of agate stone may be traced to ancient China. Staffordshire potters perfected their own techniques for creating the agateware in the 18th century and it is those wares that were copied in France as early as 1768. This cup provides a useful comparative example to Colonial Williamsburg's British agate ware pieces. It is known that some French agateware made its way to early America, but it is often difficult to distinguish the French wares from their English counterparts.
