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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Sèvres Manufactory (French, 1740–present)

Date:: 19th century
Culture:: French (Sèvres)
Medium:: Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions:: H. 2 1/2 in. (6.3 cm.); Diam. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm.)
Classification:: Ceramics
Credit Line:: Anonymous Gift, in memory of Roswell and Anne Augusta Skeel, 1934
Accession Number:: 34.160

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The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

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Sèvres Manufactory (French, 1740–present)

Met Media

Met Kids

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