Flute player 1760 - 1770

The Frankenthal Porcelain Manufactory made this delicate sculpture of a flute player from porcelain. Porcelain is made by combining kaolin clay, ground granite, and feldspar, materials first refined in China, and closely associated with wealth and trade. Notice the smooth, white surface and the fine details, achieved through careful molding and firing at high temperatures. These figures were often made in multiple parts using molds, and then assembled. It was a painstaking process that divided labor, with some workers specializing in molding, others in painting, and so on. The figure's elaborate costume, with its ruffled sleeves and striped trousers, would have been carefully painted by hand. While the sculpture captures a moment of leisure and refinement, it’s worth remembering the extensive, often unseen labor required to produce such objects. The material, production process, and artistry evident here are all part of its story.