Plate
1771–72
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Overall: 3/4 × 9 7/8 in. (1.9 × 25.1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Catherine D. Wentworth, 1948
Accession Number
48.187.333
Art Historical Context
This elegant silver plate, crafted by silversmith Marc-Ant-Noel Leroy between 1771 and 1772, exemplifies the refined metalwork of late Louis XV-era France. Measuring just 3/4 by 9 7/8, its modest scale belies its luxurious purpose: likely a serving dish for the aristocratic table, where silver objects symbolized wealth and sophistication. Leroy, a master working in Paris—the epicenter of European decorative arts—produced pieces marked by the city's rigorous guild standards, ensuring hallmarks of purity and quality. Silver's allure in 18th-century France lay in its lustrous sheen and workabili...