Cup and Saucer
1 of 3
Object Label
Theodore R. Davis was a Brooklyn artist known mainly for his lively engravings for Harper's Weekly. In 1880 he supplied designs to Haviland & Company for the extensive White House dinner service for President Rutherford B. Hayes, including this cup and saucer. The decoration on the service is for the most part naturalistically rendered scenes of animals. The coffee cups and dessert plates, however, are far more inventive and up-to-date stylistically in their amusing adaptation of a Japanese-inspired bamboo design.
Caption
Theodore Russell Davis (American, 1840–1894); Haviland & Company (founded 1842). Cup and Saucer, Patented May 10, 1880. Porcelain, (a) Cup: 2 1/2 x 2 7/8 x 2 1/8 in. (6.4 x 7.3 x 5.4 cm) (b) Saucer: 5/8 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. (1.6 x 12.1 x 12.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, H. Randolph Lever Fund, 1994.106a-b. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Designer
Maker
Title
Cup and Saucer
Date
Patented May 10, 1880
Geography
Place made: Limoges, France
Medium
Porcelain
Classification
Dimensions
(a) Cup: 2 1/2 x 2 7/8 x 2 1/8 in. (6.4 x 7.3 x 5.4 cm) (b) Saucer: 5/8 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. (1.6 x 12.1 x 12.1 cm)
Signatures
Markings
Four printed marks on bottom of both cup and saucer: (1) In blue, "PATENTED / AUGUST 10th 1880"; (2) in orange, "FABRIQUE PAR / HAVILAND & CO. / d'apres les dessins / DE / THEDORE. R. DAVIS."; (3) in green, "H & Co."; (4) in orange, "TD" designer's initials in script.
Credit Line
H. Randolph Lever Fund
Accession Number
1994.106a-b
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at