Old king

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Genoese crèche figures are rarely found at all, let alone with entirely original garments. The figures were designed to be redressed several times in the course of the Christmas season so as to represent different characters in the stages of the spectacle (Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, and the Presentation in the Temple). These constant costume changes led to wear and tear on the fragile clothing. What does remain in the case of this figure is exceptionally fine.

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