Miniature cabinet
Unknown Artist
18th–19th century
Medium
Gold, agate, lacquer
Dimensions
Overall: 3 3/4 × 3 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (9.5 × 9.5 × 6.4 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
Culture
British with Japanese decoration
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Admiral F. R. Harris, in memory of his wife, Dena Sperry Harris, 1948
Accession Number
48.185.2
Art Historical Context
This exquisite miniature cabinet, crafted in the 18th–19th century, exemplifies the opulent world of British decorative arts infused with Japanese influences. Measuring just 3¾ × 3¾ × 2½ inches, it is a marvel of precision metalwork, fashioned from gleaming gold, polished agate, and intricatequer. Likely intended as a luxurious curiosity or personal vanity item, its diminutive scale invited intimate admiration, reflecting the era's fascination with collecting and connoisseurship among Europe's elite. The cabinet's cultural fusion highlights Britain's growing engagement with East Asian aesthet...