Coffee Set

A coffee set, made by the Royal Manufactory of Sevres, is a valuable item in the Slovene area. Porcelain products started arriving from China to Europe along the so-called Silk Road from the 13th century onwards. Porcelain was described by Marco Polo, who also gave it its name – “porcellana” in Italian, for its smooth whiteness reminded him of the interior of a seashell. Porcelain products were highly valued in Europe and were called white gold. Europeans uncovered the mysterious formula for making porcelain in the early 18th century.  

This coffee set was purchased by the Prefect of Koper, Angelo Calafati, when visiting Paris in 1811.  The Museum of Koper obtained it in 1917 by purchasing it from the widow of the antiquarian from Trieste, Fano, who had received the set from the Cadamuro Morgante family from Koper.