Allegorical figure of America
Date1752-54
Label TextIn the figure of America, the Indian’s tranquility, as she peacefully offers up her arrows while a caiman (a member of the alligator family found in Central and South America) curls about her feet, may be read as an allegory of innocence and unity with nature. In the Age of Enlightenment, Europeans viewed America as the perfect symbol of untouched wilderness.
Object number81.8
Photo CreditPhoto: Susan Dirk
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe", February 17, 2000-May 7, 2000 (2/17/2000 - 5/7/2000)Published References"Selected Works." Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1991, pp. 96-97
Emerson, Julie, Jennifer Chen, & Mimi Gardner Gates, "Porcelain Stories, From China to Europe". Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 2000, p. 233Credit LineGift of Martha and Henry Isaacson
Dimensions10 x 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (25.4 x 13.97 x 8.9 cm)
MediumHard paste porcelain
Meissen manufactory, German
ca. 1750
Object number: 69.180
log in
