Art Institute of Chicago

Tea Bowl and Saucer

Marked by Matthäus Baur II (active Augsburg [now Germany], 1681–1728)

Date

c. 1700

Medium

Gilded silver and enameled copper

Culture

Augsburg

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The complex enamel scenes on this tea service represent the four classical elements: air, earth, fire, and water. On one saucer Cybele, an Anatolian mother goddess who ruled over nature, personifies earth, while attendants present her with a bounty of animals, flowers, and fruit. The enamel’s pristine condition suggests that this tea service was rarely used; more likely, it was reserved for display as part of a collector’s cabinet.

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