Pair of vases
Unknown Artist
porcelain mid-18th century, mounts ca. 1750
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain; gilt bronze
Dimensions
Height (each): 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gilt Bronze
Culture
Chinese with French mounts
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1976
Accession Number
1976.155.91, .92
Art Historical Context
This exquisite pair of vases exemplifies the luxurious cultural fusion of 18th-century Europe and China. Crafted from fine hard-paste porcelain in China during the mid-1700s—likely under the Qianlong Emperor's reign—the vases feature the translucent, durable material that made Chinese exports the gold standard for European collectors. Around 1750, French artisans added opulent gilt bronze mounts, them into elegant decorative objects suited for aristocratic interiors. The mounts, classified as metalwork, showcase masterful chasing and gilding techniques typical of Parisian workshops, evoking t...