Sleeve Button
ca. 1876
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
13/16 x 1 1/8 in. (2.1 x 2.9 cm)
Classification
Sleeve button
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Friends of the American Wing Fund, 1986
Accession Number
1986.111.9
Tags
About this artwork
This delicate porcelain sleeve button represents the zenith of American decorative arts at the nation's centennial moment. Produced by the Union Porcelain Works of Brooklyn, New York, circa 1876, this miniature object embodies the ambitious spirit of the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. The company, under the artistic direction of chief designer Karl L. H. Müller, created an array of porcelain wares specifically to demonstrate America's technological and artistic achievements on the world sta...
About the Artist
Union Porcelain Works · 1863–1922
Union Porcelain Works, established in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, in 1863, marked America's breakthrough in hard-paste porcelain production. Architect and builder Thomas Carll Smith (1815–1901) acquired the struggling factory from earlier owners like William Boch & Brothers after it faltered during the Civil War. In 1863, Smith traveled to Europe, studying porcelain techniques at the Manufactu...