Crane
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Nymphenburg
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1970
Accession Number
1970.277.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate porcelain figurine, titled *Crane*, was crafted around 1767 by the renowned Nymphenburg Porcelainufactory in Germany, with modeling attributed to sculptor Dominikus Auliczek. Standing just 6 3/4 inches tall, it exemplifies the manufactory's mastery of hard-paste porcelain—a technically advanced medium developed in Europe to rival Chinese imports. Hard-paste porcelain's high kaolin content allowed for fine translucency, durability, and intricate detailing, making it ideal for lifelike animal sculptures like this elegant bird. Nymphenburg, founded in 1747 near Munich under Bavaria...