cup

One characteristic phenomenon of the Biedermeier period (1815–1850s) was the emphasis on the private sphere. Interiors became comfortable, reception rooms evolved into living rooms, and the decorative arts concentrated on items of personal delight. The tête-à-tête (French, face to face) is a prime example. It is a small coffee or tea service for two persons. Usually, such sets were made out of porcelain or silver. Glass was not favored for hot beverages because it did not resist the heat as well as porcelain, and because brownish liquids such as tea, coffee, or chocolate do not look particularly attractive in transparent containers. Therefore, this glass set, which accurately reflects prototypes made of porcelain, certainly is rare, if not unique amid early 19th-century glassmaking.