Lacquer frame adapts the wonderfully ornate designs on an engraving (dated 1730) by the Parisian artist De Lacollombe (French, active ca. 1702–ca. 1736).

Housed at The Met, it belongs to a pattern book entitled Nouveavx Desseins D'Arquebvseries, one of the most influential means by which the French fashion of firearms ornament spread throughout Europe. De Lacollombe produced the book with Gilles Demarteau (French, 1722–1776), who was celebrated for perfecting the en manière de crayon technique by which prints could simulate the appearance of chalk drawings. Intended to be realized in chiseled steel, cast silver, and carved wood, the designs translated onto this square picture frame demonstrate the playful and inventive use of late Baroque and Rococo embellishments that characterize the most finely decorated firearms of the period.

Piece displays a 4"x4" print or photo. Overall, the piece measures 7''W x 7''L. To view the complete collection, visit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art® Collection