Wall light (one of a pair) 1735 - 1745

Curator: Well, isn't that a delightful surprise? So delicate, it almost seems like a frozen garden. Editor: It does. An opulent winter, perhaps? Though even in black and white, there's something intensely luxurious about it. What is it exactly? Curator: We are looking at one of a pair of porcelain wall lights, now residing here at the Metropolitan Museum. They date from somewhere around 1735 to 1745. Editor: Mid-18th century… at the height of Rococo! The ornamentation definitely screams Rococo. The floral abundance must have signaled tremendous wealth and refined taste. Curator: Precisely. Every single bloom, every twisting stem handcrafted… each porcelain element speaks volumes about the artistry of the time. They represent a complex visual language. Flowers often conveyed symbolic meanings: love, beauty, even virtue. These sconces didn’t simply illuminate a room. Editor: They made a statement. Who wouldn't want these objects enhanced with symbolism and artistry in their houses! Was porcelain of this quality common at the time? Curator: Not at all. Creating such elaborate porcelain sculptures was incredibly complex and time-consuming. Meissen, for example, guarded its porcelain-making secrets zealously, contributing to the desirability, social cachet, and political relevance of these objects. To own such pieces was to broadcast your power and connections. Editor: So these aren't mere decorative objects but powerful symbols of status? How have these lights shaped tastes? Curator: Definitely symbols! The enduring allure of these lights speaks to our own desire for beauty, luxury, and perhaps even a touch of courtly extravagance. There’s a deep pleasure in recognizing the skill, artistry, and hidden language embedded within these forms. They offer a bridge to a vanished world. Editor: Indeed. Looking at them now, knowing their history and craftsmanship, gives them a completely different radiance, wouldn't you say? Curator: Absolutely. Knowing infuses our perception. The symbolic potency is not gone; it continues to quietly resonate within each delicate porcelain flower.