Chinese musicians

Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This group of Chinese musicians reflects the continued popularity of chinoiserie, the depiction of fanciful figures and landscapes from an imagined and exotic East. The large scale of the figures, the complexity of their poses, and the high quality of the painted decoration make this group one of the most significant and ambitious pieces of English 18th century porcelain.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art