Vase (one of a pair)

Ignaz Preissler

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This Chinese vase was initially decorated in red enamel and gilding, but after it was exported to Europe additional decoration in black enamel and gold was applied by Ignaz Preissler (1676–1753). The depiction of “Chinese” figures is typical of chinoiserie, a term used to describe the European fascination with the peoples of Asia and their fanciful evocation in European decorative arts.

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