Theater figure
1750–52
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.51
Tags
Art Historical Context
This enchanting *Theater Figure*, crafted by the renowned Meissen Manufactory between 1750 and 1752, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century European porcelain. Standing at 8¼ inches tall, this hard-paste porcelain figurine captures a female performer, likely inspired by the vibrant world of commedia dell'arte or contemporary theater. Meissen, established in 1710 as Europe's first producer of true hard-paste—a secret formula rivaling Chinese imports—became synonymous with luxurious, whimsical decorative objects for aristocratic homes. The Rococo style of this period shines through in the fig...
About the Artist
Meissen Manufactory · 1710–present
The Meissen Manufactory, established on June 6, 1710, by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, marked the dawn of true hard-paste porcelain production in Europe. Nestled at Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen near Dresden, the Royal Polish and Electoral Saxon Porcelain Manufactory arose from alchemical experiments begun in 1708 by physicist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and p...