The proposed dates of the Derby coffee-can and saucer, between 1795 and 1800, suggest the tea and coffee service, of which these objects are part, came into the family’s collection around the same time. John Frederick Sackville (1745-1799) became the third Duke of Dorset in 1769. He was an avid collector and patronised the Sèvres porcelain factory in France. His interest in porcelain could indicate that he was the purchaser of the objects. However, records from the Derby showroom in Covent Garden (London) between 1786 and 1796 allude to the increasing purchasing power of women during this period, especially in the acquisition of teawares (Anderson 2000). In 1790, John Frederick married Arabella Cope, and this gendered dimension could equally imply that she was the principal purchaser.
The coffee-can and saucer were acquired the late-18th century culture of aristocratic collecting, consumption and display. The purchasing of tea and coffee services cannot be disentangled from the consumption of imported ‘luxury groceries’ including tea, coffee and sugar. In terms of both use and display, this coffee-can and saucer was the ultimate projection of a refined taste, social status and etiquette. The design of the coffee-can and saucer is Neoclassical, marking a shift from Rococo decoration prior to c.1770. The extensive gold gilding gives the coffee-can and saucer glistening and ephemeral qualities that further reinforce status and wealth, whether on display, or being used.
The significance of the object today is primarily sentimental through its familial associations. The coffee-can cannot be used because of its condition (previous restoration work adhered broken fragments together). Furthermore, the objects remain in rudimentary and dusty storage, somewhat detracting from their aesthetic value. However, the objects hold potential for further research into the methods of manufacture which would be valued by those researching 18th-century English porcelain production.
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