Figure of lion mounted as lamp
probably 19th century
Medium
Porcelain with colored glazes.
Dimensions
Height: 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm.)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture
Chinese
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1729
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming *Figure of a Lion Mounted as Lamp*, crafted porcelain with vibrant colored glazes, hails from China, likely the 19th century during the Qing dynasty. Standing at 10 3/4 inches tall, the piece exemplifies the exquisite ceramic artistry of the era, where skilled potters at imperial kilns like Jingdezhen produced lively animal figures. The use of overglaze enamels allowed for bold, multicolored details—think glossy greens, reds, and golds—that brought the lion to vivid life, a technique prized for its durability and decorative appeal. In Chinese culture, lions, often depicted as my...
About the Artist
Chinese
The artist known simply as "Chinese" in museum records represents the vast tradition of anonymous or unattributed masters in Chinese art history, with 99 works preserved in our collection. These pieces exemplify the enduring legacy of guó huà, or traditional Chinese painting, one of the world's oldest continuous artistic practices. Early life is not well documented, as is common for many practitio...