The Connoisseur’s Eye: New Perspectives on Ceramics in the Rienzi Collection at Rienzi
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.
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.
Title
The Connoisseur’s Eye: New Perspectives on Ceramics in the Rienzi Collection
Dates
September 1, 2018–February 3, 2019
Overview
The Connoisseur’s Eye highlights the extensive collection of ceramics at Rienzi, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, house museum for European decorative arts. Recent research has uncovered new information on pieces from lesser known English and Continental factories, including Longton Hall Porcelain, St. James’s Porcelain Factory, the Naples Royal Porcelain Factory, and more. These discoveries shed new light on the wide-ranging interests of Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III, the collectors who formerly lived in the Rienzi mansion before gifting their home to the MFAH. Find out more information at mfah.org.
Location
Rienzi, 1406 Kirby Drive
Organization
This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Background
Rienzi, the MFAH house museum for European decorative arts, is the former home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III. Opened to the public in 1999, Rienzi houses a substantial collection of European decorative arts, paintings, furnishings and porcelain, and an extensive holding of miniatures. Rienzi welcomes some 19,000 visitors each year for tours, family programs, lectures, concerts and a variety of special events.
Media Contact
Sarah Hobson, publicist
shobson@mfah.org | 713.800.5345