Sultan and Moor 1768 - 1779

This porcelain sculpture, "Sultan and Moor," was created by the Fürstenberg Porcelain Manufactory. The sculpture presents two figures arranged in a dynamic yet formal composition. The Sultan, adorned in flowing robes and a turban, contrasts sharply with the Moor, whose dark skin and simpler attire are meant to highlight exoticism. The material qualities of the porcelain—its smoothness and translucency—enhance the vivid colors, while the detailed treatment of textures, like the fur trim, adds to the visual richness. The piece operates within a semiotic system where color and form convey specific cultural meanings. The Sultan’s bright robes signify status, whereas the Moor is a signifier of a racial ‘other’. The power dynamics are destabilized through the arrangement and visual coding, reflecting eighteenth-century European fascination with foreign cultures but also reinforcing existing hierarchies. The sculpture is a complex interplay of form, color, and texture which functions aesthetically and exposes broader cultural attitudes and assumptions about race, class, and representation.