Ornament; part of centerpiece
1746–1809
Classification
metalwork
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-2143
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This delicate ornament, part of a grand centerpiece, was crafted by the esteemed Italian artist Giuseppe Barberi (1746–1809). A prominent figure in Rome's late 18th-century design scene, Barberi blended neoclassical elegance with intricate ornamental flair, often drawing from ancient Roman motifs to create luxurious objects for the elite. As a skilled architect and designer, his work exemplifies the era's fascination with symmetry, refined proportions, and opulent decoration, bridging the Rococo's playfulness with emerging Neoclassicism. Classified as metalwork from the Smithsonian Collection...