Miniature teapot
Unknown Artist
1838–?50
Medium
Silver, wood
Dimensions
Height: 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver-Miniature
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Joseph M. and Aimee Loeb May Collection, 1963
Accession Number
63.53.39
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative collection, this exquisite miniature teapot, crafted in France between 1838 and 1850, exemplifies the pinnacle of 19th-century silversmithing. Standing just 2 1/8 inches (5.4 cm) tall, it is fashioned from gleaming silver with wooden accents, likely the handle or spout fittings, highlighting the meticulous craftsmanship required for such diminutive scales. The unknown artist's work, part of The Joseph M. and Aimee Loeb May Collection (1963), features delicate bird motifs—perhaps perched on the lid or body—evoking the...