Teapot

Although diminutive, the porcelain figure of Augustus the Strong (Augustus II, Elector of Saxony and king of Poland) represents both a powerful leader and the results of his determination to discover the formula to produce porcelain, a secret well-guarded by its Asian manufacturers. Augustus pursued his quest by hiring Johann Friedrich Böttger, whose preliminary experimentations produced the stoneware Coffeepot and Pilgrim Flask displayed in this case. In 1709, Böttger discovered the necessary ingredients to produce hard-paste porcelain, most importantly white kaolin clay. Under Augustus' patronage, Meissen, the first European porcelain manufactory, was established in 1710.