The Connoisseur’s Eye: New Perspectives on Ceramics in the Rienzi Collection September 1, 2018–January 13, 2019
Chelsea Porcelain Works, Patch Box Cover, c. 1755, soft-paste porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. & Mrs. Harris Masterson III.
Chelsea Porcelain Works, attributed to Jefferyes Hamett O'Neale, Octagonal Tea Bowl, c. 1752, soft-paste porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III.
Anthony & Enoch Keeling, Partial Tea Service, c. 1805, porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III.
Bow Porcelain Factory, Sweetmeat Stand, c. 1760, soft-paste porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III.
Chelsea Porcelain Works, Deep Dish, c. 1755, soft-paste porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III.
Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Vienna, Figure of a Wigmaker, c. 1760, porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III.
Lowestoft Porcelain Factory, “Judas” Punch Bowl, c. 1790, soft-paste porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III in honor of Miss Ima Hogg.
Rienzi, the MFAH house museum for European decorative arts, presents special exhibitions twice a year. The estate is the former home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III, who were known for collecting fine ceramics. The Connoisseur’s Eye: New Perspectives on Ceramics in the Rienzi Collection highlights their extensive collection of porcelain.
Recent research has uncovered new information on pieces from lesser-known factories in Europe, including Longton Hall Porcelain, the Naples Royal Porcelain Factory, and St. James’s Porcelain Factory. These discoveries shed new light on the Mastersons’ wide-ranging interests as collectors. The Connoisseur’s Eye expands the story of 18th-century ceramics in the Rienzi Collection beyond the holdings from major porcelain factories such as Meissen, Sèvres, and Worcester.
The Connoisseur’s Eye: New Perspectives on Ceramics in the Rienzi Collection | September 1, 2018–January 13, 2019
This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.