Tureen and stand
Bernhard Heinrich Weyhe
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
A précis of how the precious metal silver could be transformed into a superior work of art by an artistic and imaginative mind, this tureen is a product of eighteenth-century Augsburg, undisputedly the foremost center of gold- and silversmithing in central Europe at the time. The sophisticated play of textures, daring juxtaposition of plain and lightcatching areas with detailed Rococo decoration, and whimsical sculptural elements reflect the commanding originality of the Augsburg artisans, particularly Bernhard Heinrich Weyhe, the maker of this piece and the leading Augsburg master. The touch of exotic chinoiserie in the pagoda-shaped outline of the tureen’s lid, so en vogue at the time, exemplifies Weyhe’s contributions to the Rococo style, which helped to define its interpretation in southern Germany. His creations are also famous for their highly sculptural finials. On this one, an elegant young woman in hunting costume holds a hooded falcon as a fox howls in the background. Falconry was one of the rare hunting sports that feudal ladies were allowed to participate in. The fox may allude to the contents of the game stew that would have been served in the tureen at hunting banquets, which at the time were lavish court rituals.
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.