Pair of vase ornaments
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Gilt bronze
Dimensions
Overall (.435a, confirmed): 3 in. × 7 3/8 in. × 1 1/4 in. (7.6 × 18.7 × 3.2 cm); Overall (.435b, confirmed): 3 3/4 × 6 3/8 × 1 1/8 in. (9.5 × 16.2 × 2.9 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gilt Bronze
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1906
Accession Number
07.225.510.435a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite pair of gilt bronze vase ornaments, crafted in 18th-century France, exemplifies the era's passion for lavish decorative metalwork. The smaller ornament (7.6 × 18.7 × 3.2 cm) and its companion (9.5 16.2 × 2.9 cm) feature delicate motifs of leaves and roses,oking the natural elegance prized in French interiors. These diminutive yet intricate pieces were likely designed to adorn vases, adding a touch of opulence to tabletops or mantels in aristocratic homes. Gilt bronze a technique where a thin layer of gold is applied over bronze via mercury-gold amalgam (fire-gilding), was a hal...