Harlequin and Columbine dancing
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.97
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of 18th-century German porcelain with *Harlequin Columbine Dancing*, a delightful figurine crafted around 1744 by Johann Joachim Kändler for the renowned Meissen Manufactory. just 8¼ inches tall, this hard-paste porcelain sculpture captures the joyful mid-twirl of two iconic Commedia dell'arte: the mischievous Harlequin, with his signature diamond-patterned costume, and the graceful Columbine, evoking the lively street performances that captivated European audiences. Meissen, established in 1710 near Dresden, was Europe's pioneer in producing hard-paste porcelain...