Taperstick (One of Four)
ca. 1750â1760
Classification
ceramics
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase from Charles E. Sampson Memorial and General Acqusition Endowment Funds
Accession Number
1987-50-1-b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's ceramics collection, this *Taperstick (One of Four)* hails from the renowned Doccia Porcelain Factory in Tuscany, Italy, established in 1735 by Marchese Carlo Ginori. Dating to around 1750–1760, it exemplifies the factory's early mastery of porcelain production, a luxurious material that rivaled Europe's finest makers like Meissen and Sèvres. As one of a matching set, this delicate candle holder—designed to support slender tapers for intimate lighting—blends functionality with 18th-century elegance. Doccia's output during this Rococo era featur...