The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art Object

The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

Ellenor M. Alcorn, Associate Curator, Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, discusses how in England, as in Europe, a rich display of silver was essential to the expression of power. Discover how English sovereigns from Elizabeth I to George III and their courtiers competed culturally on the international stage, commissioning silver and other luxury goods to establish their stature. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition British Silver: The Wealth of a Nation, on view May 15, 2012–January 20, 2013.

Recorded October 12, 2012

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Tray

Sèvres Manufactory (French, 1740–present)

Decorator:: Decoration possibly by Philippe Xhrouuet (active 1750–75)
Decorator:: Decoration possibly by Jacques-François Micaud (active 1757–1810)
Date:: 1768
Culture:: French (Sèvres)
Medium:: Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions:: L. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm.)
Classification:: Ceramics
Credit Line:: Gift of W. B. Osgood Field, 1902
Accession Number:: 02.5.29

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The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

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Sèvres Manufactory (French, 1740–present)

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The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

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Tray

Sèvres Manufactory (French, 1740–present)

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