Pantaloon
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Fulda
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jack and Belle Linsky Collection, 1982
Accession Number
1982.60.185
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of 18th German porcelain with *Pantaloon*, a hard-paste porcelain figur crafted around 1770 at the Fulda Pottery and Porcelain Manufactory Attributed to modeler Wenzel Neu, this sculpture—standing just 5¼ inches tall—depicts the iconic commedia dell'arte character Pantalone, the miser Venetian merchant known for his hunched posture, exaggerated features, and colorful attire. Such figures were beloved in European homes, blending entertainment with fine artistry. Fulda, a key center for German porcelain production in Hesse, emulated the technical mastery of pioneer...
About the Artist
Wenzel Neu|Fulda Pottery and Porcelain Manufactory (German|German) · 1708 |1764 –1774 |1789
German, ca. 1708–1774|German, 1764–1789