“Observe this exquisite porcelain sculpture from 1760, capturing a finely dressed couple in a tender exchange. Its delicate details and vibrant colors offer a glimpse into 18th-century European artistry and courtly romance.”
This charming porcelain sculpture captures a seated couple in a moment of quiet interaction, their elaborate rococo costumes rendered with delicate precision. The man, in a powdered wig and a jacket with ruffled cuffs, gently offers a flower to the woman, who gazes back at him with a slight smile. Her dress, adorned with painted floral motifs, billows around her, suggesting movement even in their stillness. The entire piece, made of hard-paste porcelain, reflects the era's fascination with intricate, decorative objects that brought a touch of elegance and whimsy to domestic settings. Produced by the Höchster Porzellan-Manufaktur around 1760, it exemplifies the refined taste and skilled craftsmanship characteristic of German porcelain manufacturers during the mid-18th century.
- Artist
- Höchster Porzellan-Manufaktur
- Date
- 1760
- Medium
- Hard-paste porcelain
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- 6 7/8 × 7 5/16 in. (17.5 × 18.6 cm)
- Collection
- European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
- Culture
- German, Höchst
- Credit line
- Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The man's powdered wig, a fashion staple of the 18th century.
The delicate flower he offers, a tiny detail in his hand.
The intricate ruffles on the man's jacket cuffs.
The painted floral patterns on the woman's voluminous dress.
1 more detail is waiting.
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Höchster Porzellan-Manufaktur
Germany's second-oldest porcelain maker, crafting delicate wares from 1746 with their iconic wheel trademark.
Further Works by Porzellan-Manufaktur
Hunter with Hounds
1755 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Bouillon bowl with cover
1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Girl fleeing from a snake (one of a pair)
1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Plate with Lily of the Valley Tree (Clethra arborea)
1806 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Cup and saucer with birds in micromosaic decoration
1812 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Krater vase with a signed view of Potsdam
1820 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lithophane
1837 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Porzellan-Manufaktur: works from the same years.
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Head of a Child
Jacques-Louis David · 1768 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Portrait of Madame Anne-Jeanne Cassanéa de Mondonville, née Boucon (1708-1780)
Maurice Quentin de Latour · 1752 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Design for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a Cloud
Philippe de la Salle · 1765 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Thomas Hurnard (1711/1712–1753), Mayor of Norwich (1752)
John Theodore Heins · 1754 · Norfolk Museums Collections
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Portrait of a Lady
John Smart of Ipswich · 1773 · Yale Center for British Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Medal cabinet
William Vile · 1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Hot milk jug
Höchst Manufactory · 1770 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Pair of Side Chairs
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1770 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1740s–1770s
John Jehu, L'Inghilterra
James Bretherton · 1772 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
A young girl walks towards the left with one infant on her shoulder and holding another small child's hand, while two children walk at right with a torch and a basket
Luca Cambiaso · 1775 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Descent of the Holy Ghost
Stefano Mulinari · 1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1740s–1770s
Landscape
William Wooller · 1763 · Cleveland Museum of Art
