Teapot

Art Historical Context

This elegant 18th-century Portuguese teapot, standing at a dainty 7 1/2 inches tall, exemplifies the refined metalwork of Europe's decorative arts tradition. Crafted by an artist, its compact form and shimmering surface highlight the era's mastery of silversmithing, where skilled artisans shaped precious metal into functional yet luxurious objects for the elite. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, it entered the collection through the Rogers Fund in 2. In the context of 18th-century Portugal—a nation buoyed by its vast colonial empire an...