Fountain and basin
ca. 1727–32
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain decorated in polychrome enamels, gold; silver spout
Dimensions
Overall (assembled confirmed): 24 1/2 x 18 1/8 x 16 1/2 in. (62.2 x 46 x 41.9 cm); Other (54.147.65 a (fountain)): 13 1/4in. (33.7cm); Other (54.147.65 b (plinth)): 11 5/16 x 10in. (28.7 x 25.4cm); Other (basin confirmed): 3 1/8 x 18 3/8 x 13 5/8 in. (7.9 x 46.7 x 34.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
German, Meissen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1954
Accession Number
54.147.65a–c
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Fountain and Basin* (ca. 172732), crafted by modeler Johann Gottlieb Kirchner at Meissen Manufactory exemplifies the dawn of European porcelain mastery. Meissen, founded in 1710 near Dresden, Germany, was the first to produce true hard-paste porcelain—a durable, translucent material long monopolized by China. Kirchner, renowned for his lively animal sculptures, likely contributed dynamic figures to this whimsical fountain, assembled from porcelain elements with a gleaming silver spout for water flow. The piece dazzles with polychrome enamels in vibrant hues and intricate gildi...
About the Artist
Johann Gottlieb Kirchner|Meissen Manufactory (German|German) · 1710 |1706 –9999 |1738
German, 1710–present|German, Merseburg 1706–after 1738 Berlin, active at Meissen 1727–28 and 1731–33