Cleveland Museum of Art

Figure of a Monkey on a Dog

Villeroy Factory

Date

c. 1745

Medium

soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration

Culture

France, Mennecy, 18th century

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Images of this type, monkeys dressed in human clothing and engaged in human pursuits, were called singeries and were represented in 18th-century French painting and decorative art. This particular figurine was based on a book of engravings that provided designs for contemporary craftsmen and was published by animal painter Christopher Huet in 1748. This monkey may have once held a stick in its outstretched left hand.

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