Drummer
ca. 1750
Medium
Lead-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
Height: 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1943
Accession Number
43.100.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the charming *Drummer*, a lively lead-glazed earthenware crafted around 1750 by the Staffordshireters Astbury-Whon. Standing just 6¾ inches tall, this petite sculpture captures a musician in mid-performance, drum at the ready, embodying the spirited folk art tradition of Britain's pottery heartland. Produced in Staffordshire, a hub of ceramic innovation during the 18th century, it exemplifies the era's affordable decorative wares that brought color and whimsy to middle-class homes. Lead-glazed earthenware, with its glossy, vibrant finishes in blues, greens, and flesh tones, allowed pot...