The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Pair of pomade jars with covers

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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Pair of pomade jars with covers

Mennecy

Date:: ca. 1750–60
Culture:: French (Mennecy)
Medium:: Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions:: Each, H. with cover 3 in. (7.6 cm.)
Classification:: Ceramics
Credit Line:: Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1950
Accession Number:: 50.211.128a, b, .129a, b

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The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

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Pair of pomade jars with covers

Mennecy

Met Media

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Met Store