Male adult goat
Unknown Artist
second half 18th century
Medium
Polychromed terracotta body, wooden legs, metal horns
Dimensions
H. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm.)
Classification
Crèche
Culture
Italian, Naples
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, 1964
Accession Number
64.164.116
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming male adult goat is a delightful figure from a Neapolitan *crèche* (presepe), a traditional Italian nativity scene popular in 18th-century Naples.ed in the second half of the1700s by an unknown artist, it captures the lively spirit of these elaborate displays, which brought the Christmas story to life with hundreds of realistically detailed figures—humans, angels, and animals alike. Placed among shepherds and the Holy Family in opulent Baroque churches or private homes, such crèches were a hallmark of Neapolitan devotional art, blending piety with theatrical flair. The goat's con...