Table decoration in the form of a peacock

Table decoration in the form of a peacock

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Festive drinking cups were produced in an astonishing range of animal forms, such as bears, rampant stags, owls, and unicorns, during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Usually the head could be removed—as is the case here—and both parts of the cup could be filled with an alcoholic beverage. As customs changed, their ceremonial purpose shifted and during the eighteenth century these objects were mainly seen as humorous table ornaments, comparable to porcelain statuettes. Peacock cups like this were typically made in Hungary. Any drink poured into its detachable head had to be drunk at once, since it cannot be set down while full. The partial gilding emphasizes the "eyes" on the peacock's tail feathers, symbols of pride.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Table decoration in the form of a peacockTable decoration in the form of a peacockTable decoration in the form of a peacockTable decoration in the form of a peacockTable decoration in the form of a peacock

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.