Box for rouge and patches

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A finely made silver or gold box required great precision and training on the part of the goldsmith. Each panel had to be perfectly flat, accurately cut, and meticulously soldered. The fabrication of inset hinges, which allowed the cover to swing readily and close firmly, required special training and attention. This small box for rouge and patches has two compartments and three tightly fitting hinges—an even more demanding challenge for the fabricator. One chamber, accessible from the top, reveals a section for rouge and a small brush, while the other, for patches, is accessed from the bottom of the box.

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