Cleveland Museum of Art

Candelabrum Depicting an Allegorical Figure of Matrimony

Date

c. 1775

Medium

soft-paste porcelain

Culture

England, London, Chelsea

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This allegorical figure depicts a shepherdess dressed in richly patterned garments. Here the figure (Matrimony) holds a birdcage in one hand and subtly directs the viewer’s gaze toward the sheep resting nearby with the other. An accompanying figure, a shepherd (Liberty) is joined by a dog and a bird that perches on his outstretched arm. The canopy of foliage surrounding these figures was inspired by the arbors popular in theatrical stage designs during the mid-1700s.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.