Spice Cabinet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Spice boxes, with their small interior compartments, served the practical purpose of storing and safeguarding valuables and exotic spices. The handsome example of the form mimics the full-scale William and Mary style high chests of drawers seen in this gallery. Its fine craftsmanship, ornate design, and delicate inlay indicate that it was likely placed on display in the parlor or best room in the house.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art