Box
ca. 1745
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain, gilt metal
Dimensions
Overall: 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 × 2 1/8 in. (3.8 × 7 × 5.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Joseph W. Drexel, 1889
Accession Number
89.2.141
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite porcelain box, crafted by the Doccia Porcelain Manactory around 1745, exemplifies early Italian mastery of hard-paste porcelain technically demanding medium developed at the factory founded in 1735 by Marchese Carlo Ginori near. As Italy's first producer of true porcelain (fired at high temperatures for its signature translucency and durability), Doccia rivaled German leaders like Meissen, blending local artistry with international innovation. The small scale (just 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 × 2 1/8 inches) suggests it served as a luxury trinket box, perhaps for snuff, patches, or jewels, en...
About the Artist
Doccia Porcelain Manufactory · 1737–1896
The Doccia Porcelain Manufactory, founded in 1737 by Marquis Carlo Ginori near Florence, holds the distinction of being Italy's first hard-paste porcelain manufacturer and one of the few European porcelain enterprises to survive from the eighteenth century to the present day without interruption. Unlike most contemporary ventures — which depended on the patronage and protection of ruling courts — ...