(Manufacturer's Catalogue of furniture mounts, candelabra, etc.) 18th century

This 18th-century, anonymous sample of marbled paper, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, is a great example of decorative marbling, an art form that flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries. The design features intricate patterns, achieved through a process where colored inks are swirled and dropped onto a liquid surface, then transferred onto a sheet of paper. This marbled paper was likely intended as a decorative covering for books or objects, demonstrating the versatile applications of this artistic technique.