In the mid-19th century, American porcelain became available to middle-class America for the first time thanks to advancements in technology. The rococo revival style had replaced the restrained neoclassical motifs with ones inspired from 18th-century France embodied by naturalistic ornate forms, sculptural contours, and S- and C-scrolls.

During this period, Brooklyn, New York, was among a handful of ceramic producing centers in America. About 1854, William Boch, and his two brothers Anthony and Victor Francis, established William Boch and Brothers in the Greenpoint section of the city. According to an 1855–56 advertisement, the manufactory produced “house, lock, & furniture trimmings; porcelain pitchers, mugs, vases, and other fancy wares.” They made their wares available to local restaurants, hotels, and households.

Quite possibly intended to serve wine, this pitcher is relief molded with imagery of a seated Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, entwined with grape and vines, and retaining much of its original gilt highlights. Furthermore, inscribed “Revd C. N. R.” below the spout, this clue may help to trace its provenance. In 1857, the firm became known as the Union Porcelain Company, and a few years later it was renamed the Union Porcelain Works. In its latter permutation, it is recognized as being the most significant American porcelain manufactory dating from the second half of the 19th century.

Related examples High Museum of Art, Atlanta, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.