Dove (one of a pair)

Art Historical Context

Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, *Dove (one of a)* from the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory (ca. 1750) the delicate artistry of early British porcelain. Crafted from soft-p porcelain—a pioneering European substitute rare Chinese hard-paste petite figure (5 1/2 × 5 in.) a dove in exquisite detail, likely intended as a pair for mantelpieces or tabletops. Gifted by Irwin Untermyer in 4, it reflects the era's obsession with luxury ceramics. Chelsea, founded around 1743, was among England's first porcelain factories, thriving during the m...

About the Artist

Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory · 1744–1784

**Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory** The Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory, Britain's pioneering porcelain enterprise, was founded around 1743 in Chelsea, London, by two Huguenot silversmiths: Nicholas Sprimont from Liège and Charles Gouyn. Sprimont, trained in Paris as a goldsmith before immigrating to England, brought his expertise in luxury metalwork to the venture, while Gouyn handled early sales th...