Bell
1769–70
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Height: 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Catherine D. Wentworth, 1948
Accession Number
48.187.383
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, delicate silver *Bell* by François Delapierre, crafted Paris between 1769 and 1770, captures the elegance of pre-Revolutionary French luxury metal. Standing just 4 3/16 inches (10.6 cm) tall, its petite scale suggests it was designed for both practicality and display, embodying the refined craftsmanship a master silversmith. Silver was a prestigious medium in 18th Paris, the epicenter of European decorative arts, where artisans likeapierre chased, embossed, and polished the metal to achieve shimmering sur...