Plate

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 workability, allowing techniques like chasing, repoussé, and engraving to create intricate designs that caught the candlelight of grand salons. This plate reflects the transition from opulent rococo curves toward the emerging neoclassical restraint, capturing a pivotal moment in French design history. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Department, it entered the collection through the 1948 bequest of Catherine D. Wentworth, preserving a tangible link to Enlightenment-era opulence for modern visitors.