European Decorative Arts and Sculpture Inkstand and Candleholder with Musicians, Animals, and Griffin Made in Westerwald region, Germany, Europe1730s-50s Artist/maker unknown, German Salt-glazed stoneware with cobalt and manganese decoration * Gallery 262a, European Art 1500-1850, second floor 2008-104-1a--c Purchased with the Dean Walker Fund, the John T. Morris Fund, and with funds contributed by Dr. Charles W. Nichols, 2008 |
LabelFigurative stonewares developed as a genre in the Westerwald in the eighteenth century, inspired by similar sculptural ceramics made in contemporary porcelain and earthenware centers. In general, the stoneware figures were functional—often as accessories for writing sets, candleholders, or salt cellars. This object is among a small number of ambitious, large-scale pieces that combine the functions of an inkstand with elaborate groupings of figures; in this case, musicians are accompanied by animals, including a dancing griffin, within an arrangement that evokes the revelries of a festival procession. An almost identical inkstand in the collection of the Keramikmuseum Westerwald may have been created as a companion to this object, perhaps as a special commission for an unknown patron.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
