Set of three finials
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Gilt bronze
Dimensions
Diameter (each): 1 3/8 in. (3.5 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
07.225.510.665a–c
Art Historical Context
This exquisite set of three gilt bronze finials, crafted in 18th-century France, exemplifies the era's mastery of luxurious decorative metalwork. Each finial measures just 1 3/8 inches (3.5 cm) in diameter, designed as elegant crowning ornaments for furniture, candelabra, or architectural elements. Their petite scale belies their opulent craftsmanship, typical of French ateliers that supplied the aristocracy with refined accents for grand interiors. Gilt bronze hallmark of Rococo and Neoclassical decorative arts—involved casting intricate bronze forms and applying a thin layer of gold via fir...