Cat
Unknown Artist
ca. 1745
Medium
Salt-glazed stoneware
Dimensions
Height (wt. confirmed): 5 in., 1 lb. (12.7 cm, 0.5 kg)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Carleton Macy, 1934
Accession Number
34.165.19
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming salt-glazed stoneware figurine, titled *Cat* and dating to around 1745, hails from the renowned potteries of Staffordshire, England Standing just 5 inches (12.7 cm) tall and weighing a mere 1 pound (0.5 kg), it exemplifies the whimsical animal sculptures produced by unknown artisans for middle-class homes. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts—thanks to a 1934 gift from Carleton Macy—this piece captures the playful spirit of 18th-century British ceramicsSalt-glazing, a hallmark technique of Staffordshire potters, involved t...