Masquerader
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 6 in. (15.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
Swiss, Zurich
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, 1950
Accession Number
50.211.265
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of 18th Swiss porcelain with *Masquerader*, a figurine crafted by the Zurich Pottery and Porcelain around 1765–70. Standing just 6 inches tall, this soft-paste porcelain captures a mysterious reveler in mid-performance, evoking the lively spirit of European masquerades. The "Men" tag hints at its depiction of a male figure, donning an elaborate costume that reflects the era's fascination with disguise and festivity. Zurich emerged as a key player in Europe's porcelain scene during the Rococo period, with its factory pioneering soft-paste porcelain—a refined, tran...