Pinecone cup

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This footed cup takes the form of a large pinecone. Its shiny surface is the result of lustering, a complicated technique involving multiple firings and the application of metal oxides to the glazed earthenware. Although the brown color may seem plain at first glance, the refined yet imaginative shape and masterful use of luster make this an extraordinarily accomplished example of Renaissance maiolica.

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