Duck Tureens, Meissen, Germany c. 1745

These early Americans modeled English dining, who modeled the French, who modeled the Italians. Dining was undergoing a transition in the 18^th century; in the homes of the elite display took center stage in sumptuous presentations. In this era the dining style was known as “dining a la francaise”, which consisted of two or even three courses of sweet and savories, with the food on the table at the start of the meal. While this arrangement was very pleasing to the eye, it also meant the food was often cold and diners were limited to the dishes nearby if at a large table. While no one can say this style of dining was incredibly functional, it certainly created an impressive presentation that stunned the guests.

Made in the Meissen factory around 1745, these duck tureens provide insight into what was popular on the European dinner table. The factory was the premier maker of decorative porcelain in Europe in the early 18^th century until the French-based Sèvres factory’s products rose to fame in the 1760’s. Meissen was the first to produce a hard paste porcelain with quality comparable to that of Chinese and Japanese ceramics. The duck design was created by Johann Joachim Kandler, Meissen’s most important modeler, who had a prolific 40-year career with the factory and designed hundreds of pieces.

Naturalism, with its realistic designs of flora and fauna, was incredibly popular during this era. Motifs from the natural world are closely associated with the Meissen factory who pioneered the designs and later influenced factories like Chelsea.

Dining in the 18^th and early 19^th century was an involved process that could take up to several hours. Conversation was especially important as it was expected that diners would converse with their host and other guests at length. The playful and whimsical designs on the dining materials would provide topics for conversation. The duck tureens open for a sauce to be placed inside. However, the tureens contain no space for a serving spoon and show little wear. It is likely these items were mainly used for table décor. They were sold  as a pair, which could create visual symmetry on the table.  This point is echoed in a presentation by retired curator of European ceramics from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jeffrey Munger, on the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art’s new exhibition Savor: A Revolution in Food Culture.