Two entwined dolphins
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Overall: 4 1/2 × 2 in. (11.4 × 5.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
British, Chelsea
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
Accession Number
64.101.528a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome visitors to the enchanting world of 18th-century British porcelain *Two Entwined Dolphins*, crafted by the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory between 1753 and 1758, is a delightful example of soft-paste porcelain sculpture. Measuring just 4½ × 2 inches, this petite pair of playfully intertwined dolphins captures the rococo spirit of the era—elegant, whimsical, and alive with movement. Chelsea, London's pioneering porcelain factory, produced such treasures during its "red anchor" period, marked by high-quality output rivaling continental masters like Meissen. Soft-paste porcelain, Chelsea's...
About the Artist
Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory · 1744–1784
**Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory** The Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory, Britain's pioneering porcelain enterprise, was founded around 1743 in Chelsea, London, by two Huguenot silversmiths: Nicholas Sprimont from Liège and Charles Gouyn. Sprimont, trained in Paris as a goldsmith before immigrating to England, brought his expertise in luxury metalwork to the venture, while Gouyn handled early sales th...