Cup and saucer: Biedermeier stroll

In the Biedermeier period, hand-painted sets like this one in gold, yellow and white were part of the successful product range of many porcelain manufactories, including Fürstenberg, Meissen and Höchst. Around 13 cm high, the cup has a tall, narrow foot. Instead of a handle, a vertical coin-sized porcelain disc is attached to the drinking rim, with which the cup is brought to the mouth between thumb and forefinger. The surrounding motif of the cup shows figures in Biedermeier clothing strolling on a gold-coloured background; the women wear floor-length dresses with wide skirts in summery fabrics. A gentleman is standing opposite them, wearing an emerald-green frock coat, top hat and cane. The painting is based on designs by Georg Heinrich Holtzmann and inspired by copperplate engravings by Johann Esaias Nilson. The inner surface of the saucer and the lower part of the cup are yellow and decorated with golden ornaments. A gold and white zigzag band runs around the edge of each element of the set.