ESDA at the Met

Costume Art — now open in The Met’s Condé M. Nast Galleries — pairs garments with specific artwork to show the relationship between these pieces. That means our team of objects conservators and mount makers were more involved in this year’s show than ever ! Here, conservator Jack Soultanian removes cementitious encrustations from Rafaello Monti’s marble Veiled Woman, signed and dated 1854. Swipe right to see the work paired with one of the most iconic looks from this year’s red carpet! @metmuseum #costumeart #italianart #stonesculpture #metgala2026 #artconservation

Last month, ESDA lost a beloved, long-time valued member of the department, Clare Vincent. Clare joined ESDA in 1962, fulfilling her longtime wish to work for The Met and worked in several different areas. She wrote extensively on various subjects such as sculpture by Auguste Rodin and Edgar Degas, "Renaissance" jewelry, and pietre dure. Clare will be primarily remembered for her love of clocks, watches, and scientific instruments as well as her research on Limoges enamels. Towards the end of her distinguished career, she published the beautiful volume of European Clocks and Watches in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2015), written together with her husband Jan Hendrik Leopold and Elizabeth Sullivan. In 2016, she retired from ESDA and was appointed Curator Emerita. Clare was a warm, bright colleague with a great sense of humor and will be missed. 🎨Astronomical table clock, second quarter 17th century, Case: gilded brass and gilded copper; Dials: gilded brass and silver; Movement: brass, gilded brass, and steel, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917(17.190.747) 🎨Edgar Degas, The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, Cast by A. A. Hébrard, 1922 (cast), 2018 (tutu), Partially tinted bronze, cotton tarlatan, silk satin, and wood, H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (29.100.370) 🎨Pierre Reymond, The Wedding Feast of Cupid and Psyche, 1558, Painted enamel on copper, partly gilt, Purchase, Rogers Fund; Gifts of Irwin Untermyer, George Blumenthal, and Ogden Mills, by exchange; Bequest of Fannie F. Einstein, in memory of Emanuel Einstein, by exchange; and Edward Ablat, the Shubert Foundation, Inc., and Irving M. Gruber Gifts, 1984 (1984.195)

To mark the Purim holiday, which begins today, we wanted to share a recent acquisition and the first Scroll of Esther for the Met’s collection! Purim commemorates Queen Esther, the Persian Queen, and her role in saving the Jewish people from annihilation in 480 BCE. This communal and joyful holiday celebrates bravery, resolve, and faith. Esther scroll cases rarely are made from gold, and the inclusion of figurative scenes makes it particularly extraordinary. Three bas-relief scenes depict passages from the Book of Esther: Esther before King Ahasuerus (8:3); Haman leading Mordecai, dressed in the King’s robes on horseback (6:11); and the hanging of Haman (7:8-10). Below the narrative scenes are four upturned winged cherubim attached to an elongated handle with a Janus-head at the bottom. The central body can be opened to reveal the parchment scroll which extends over 8 feet. This scroll was once part of the Sassoon collection, a family of Baghdadi origin, with roots in Bombay, Shanghai, and London. The collection was assembled over the course of a century and passed down among family members. In the nineteenth-century, Flora Gubbay Sassoon inherited the scroll. She was an acute businesswoman, scholar, and philanthropist, who challenged the traditional expectations placed on women at the turn of the century. This case was exhibited at the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall in 1887 and has not been on view to the public since. Visit Gallery 503 to see it in person! Chag Sameach! 🎨Esther Scroll and Case. Italian. 18th century. Gold, white metal; ink on parchment. Gift of Jane and Stuart Weitzman, in honor of Oscar L. Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang, 2025 (2025.335a, b)

New installation alert 🚨 In the 1840s and ’50s, British and French antiquarians digging in Iraq revealed ancient Assyrian palaces at sites such as Nimrud (ancient Kalhu) and Nineveh, associated with cities and kings named in the Bible. The carved stone reliefs found lining the palace walls were unlike anything previously known and caused a sensation in Britain, where their excavation was also represented as an imperial achievement. Many of the sculptures were shipped to London and received much attention in newspapers and popular books. The Sydenham Crystal Palace, opened in 1854, included a brightly colored “Nineveh Court,” and the ancient sculptures inspired designs incorporating Assyrian imagery in metalwork, ceramics, and jewelry. The objects on view here are part of the Henrietta and Christopher McCall Collection of Assyrian revival decorative arts and works on paper, acquired by The Met in 2023. More pieces from this collection will appear in the museum’s redesigned Galleries for the Art of Ancient West Asia, which will open in summer 2027. Swipe to take a closer look at a selection of the objects on view and see them in person in the British Galleries (Gallery 516)! 📸View of installation in gallery 516. British. Jugs with Assyrian-inspired decoration (2023.657, 2023.658, 2023.659), 1851-1860. Porcelain. British. Human-headed winged bull and lion (2023.655a, b), 1850-1900. Gilt bronze. French. Urn with Assyrian scenes (2023.651), 1851. Slate, bronze. British. Brooch with Assyrian human-headed winged bull (2023.691), ca. 1873. Gold, enamel, glass. British. Jug with Assyrian-inspired decoration (2023.662), 1851-1860. Stoneware. British. Earrings with Assyrian human-headed winged bulls (2023.680a, b), ca. 1870-1875. Gold. British. Brooch with Assyrian winged human-headed bull (2023.679), ca. 1870-1875. Gold, glass. British. Bracelet with Assyrian-inspired design (2023.695), ca. 1870-1880. Gold. British. Human- headed winged lion and bull (2023.664a, b), 1893. Unglazed porcelain (Parian ware).

Love is in the air and it smells divine! 💕 This Valentine’s Day, ESDA is highlighting two eighteenth century British scent bottles from our collection. Featuring a pair of doves, a symbol long associated with love, these bottles would likely have been given as romantic gifts. The doves hold a ribbon in their beaks that is inscribed with the grammatically incorrect French phrase "prenes les pour modele" intended to mean "take them [the doves] as a model." Small enough to carry in a pocket or attach to a belt, scent bottles (or smelling bottles, as they were referred to in the eighteenth century) held perfumes that could be sniffed throughout the day, either directly from the bottle or when applied to a handkerchief. We hope these provide inspiration for any last-minute gifts you might give your valentine tomorrow. Happy Valentine’s Day! 💘 🎨Scent bottle with two doves, ca. 1765–70, enamel on copper Gift of Mrs. James M. Kellogg, in memory of her husband, 2023 (2023.441.15) 🎨Scent bottle with two doves, ca. 1765–1770, enamel on copper, Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964 (64.101.809a, b)

With vivid green eyes, a puckered mouth, and shimmering body, this object transforms a ritual vessel into a work of delight and joy! This extraordinary spice container is on view in our current ESDA “Case Study”, and would have been part of a special ceremony in the Jewish faith, known as Havdalah. This brief ritual and service mark the end of the Sabbath or holiday, which includes a cup of wine, a braided candle, and spice container. The display highlights craftsmanship, materials and community celebrations from the Jewish communities of Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands from the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries. The grouping presents Judaica objects that were recently acquired alongside works never on view before and explores universal themes related to special days on the Jewish calendar. Long standing traditions and annual holidays such as Hanukkah or Purim, these holidays have been observed for centuries and are marked by distinctive rituals. Lifecycle events — including the birth of a baby or wedding– have developed their own customs and ceremonial objects, such as a gold and enamel betrothal ring or a leather box to store circumcision instruments. The relief lid illustrates a narrative scene from the story of Abraham, Genesis 16:1-16 and Genesis 21:4-21. Faïence plates decorated with Hebrew or Yiddish inscriptions played a role in Jewish households and were used to serve special holiday cuisine or sweets across communities. On view until March 3rd, don’t miss your chance to see this special display! Judaica is also on view in Gallery 551 and Gallery 556! 🎨Fish-form spice container (Besamim). Austrian, Vienna.1813. Silver, foil-backed glass. Purchase, Manda and Albert Kalimian Gift, in honor of Sabrina and Daniel Kalimian, 2024 (2025.104) 🎨Hanukkah Lamp. Johannes van der Lely (Dutch, Leeuwarden 1674–1750). Dutch, Leeuwarden. 1706. Silver. Purchase, Manda and Albert Kalimian Gift, in honor of Sabrina and Daniel Kalimian, 2025 (2025.585)

Wishing you and yours warm wishes for good health & happiness in the New Year! ❄️Model of King Ludwig II of Bavaria's Neo-Rococo Sleigh. Franz Seitz, German, 1872–80. Historic ivory, carved, punched, and engraved; on oval silk velvet-covered wooden stand with historic ivory ball feet. Gift of the Sapir Family, in memory of Tamir Sapir, 2024 (2024.141.2)

It’s that time of year! 🎄 A fan favorite, The Met’s annual Christmas Tree exhibition is now on view in the Medieval Sculpture Hall. But did you know? The beloved crèche, or nativity scene, of over 140 objects is not actually medieval. These finely crafted sculptures were made in 18th-century Naples, Italy and are part of the @met_esda collection. Also known as presepios, Neapolitan crèches are known for their ornate detail and craftmanship. The nativity, or birth of Christ, was often depicted in art of the European Middle Ages. Nativity scenes can be found in stained glass, stone, wood, enamel, and ivory artworks in the @metcloisters collection. The Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche exhibition is on view in the Medieval Sculpture Hall (Gallery 305) now through January 6, 2026.

Happy Hanukkah! The eight-day holiday has begun! The Festival of Lights celebrates the rededication of the Temple, the victory of the Jews over the Seleucid Greeks in 164 BCE, and the miracle of one small oil flask that was intended to burn for one day, but lasted for eight. Lighting the Hanukkah menorah became a centuries-long global Jewish tradition that is commemorated by lighting a candle for each night of Hanukkah. This ritual object can be designed in a variety of shapes and forms, provided there are eight candles, plus one additional candle, called a shamash, which facilitates lighting the others. These elements have inspired artisans over centuries to create new designs with a range of techniques and materials. This holiday season we are celebrating a recent acquisition, a rare silver eighteenth-century Dutch Hanukkah lamp which was manufactured by the silversmith Johannes van der Lely, a descendant of an established family of silversmiths in Leeuwarden, Friesland, a northern province in the Dutch Republic. Ritual lamps to celebrate Hanukkah were primarily made by Christian silversmiths because Jews were not allowed to join the local guilds, as they were considered a religious minority. This silver repoussé lamp features a scalloped backplate with an elaborate floral composition which includes scrolling tulips, anemones, roses, and acanthus leaves. It’s wonderful to imagine this polished backplate reflected the flickering light of the flames. Following the devastation of the Dutch Jewish communities during the Second World War, only twelve silver Dutch lamps are known to exist, and these objects represent a complex Jewish history filled with rich artistic expression. You can view this lamp alongside recent Judaica acquisitions and works that have never been on view before in Gallery 556. 🎨Johannes van der Lely (Dutch, Leeuwarden 1674–1750). Hanukkah Lamp.1706. Silver. Purchase, Manda and Albert Kalimian Gift, in honor of Sabrina and Daniel Kalimian, 2025 (2025.585)

Looking forward to sharing a meal with friends and family this Thanksgiving? 🍁 Feasts, whether secular or sacred, have long provided opportunities to connect with our loved ones and indulge in a bit of fun. In the scene painted on the lid of this box, a newly married couple share a glass. The musicians serenading the couple add to the festive atmosphere, as does the floral decoration on four of the other five sides of the box. On the table, dishes, two knives, a bowl, a beaker, and a covered cup are laid out before them, soon to be joined by a new covered dish which is being brough in by a servant. The twenty-first century viewer might notice that there are no forks or spoons on the table. As this was painted in sixteenth-century Switzerland, the knife would have been the primary utensil for the happy diners. No matter what your table looks like this festive season, we hope it will be joyful. 🎨Box. Swiss, 16th Century. Painted wood, 15 x 6 in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1908, (08.181.32)

Step into the lavish world of the Sun King, also known as Louis XIV. 🌞 The objects in this gallery, dating from his reign (1638–1715), are made from precious materials including tropical woods, tortoiseshell, ivory, and gilt bronze. Art of the period centered on the king’s personal taste and celebrated the grandeur and ceremony of his court. Louis XIV himself appears as Jupiter in the embroidered hanging to the left of the bed—a set commissioned around 1684–85 by his mistress, Madame de Montespan. 📸: @thehannahevegodnik

All tricks and no treats on Halloween? That’s positively skull-crushing! 💀 In honor of All Hallows Eve, ESDA is highlighting this haunting piece produced by the Nymphenburg Porcelain Factory. Made of hard paste porcelain, wood, mirror glass, and metal pins, this rare eighteenth-century object is truly spine-tingling. Wishing everyone a safe, spooky, and specular Halloween! 🎃 ☠️ Skull and crossbones, Manufactory: Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, possibly modeled by Ignaz Günther, ca. 1755–60, hard-paste porcelain, wood, mirror glass, metal pins, Anonymous Gift, in memory of Bill Rieder, 2014 (2014.206)