Pair of mirror knobs

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

One of a set of enameled wall-hanging knobs, the gondola of the hydrogen balloon carries two aeronauts and may well illustrate the first successful flight over the English Channel. On January 7, 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard and Dr. John Jeffries crossed from Dover to Calais by air. To make the balloon lighter and keep it afloat, the two men were forced to dump their ballast, throw away their cork life jackets, and even Dr. Jeffries’ pants!

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