Greek Slave

Copied Minton and Company, Greek Slave, after 1849, Parian ware (unglazed porcelain), 13 1⁄4 in. (33.7 cm) height, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2015.30

Artwork Details

Title
Greek Slave
Artist
Minton and Company , after Hiram Powers
Date
after 1849
Location
Dimensions
13 1⁄4 in. (33.7 cm) height
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums Description
Parian ware (unglazed porcelain)
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • State of being — other — enslaved
  • Figure female — full length
  • Figure female — nude
Object Number
2015.30

Artwork Description

Like the plastic reproductions of the Colosseum that prove irresistable to many tourists today, reduced replicas of The Greek Slave satisfied a nineteenth century demand for souvenirs. Miniature knock-offs extended the appeal of Powers' artwork to people who could never afford to buy his original marble versions. Many firms sold reductions but none were as accurate as those produced by the British firm Minton and Company, which used a mechanical reduction machine (developed by Benjamin Cheverton in 1825) to capture the details from Powers' original sculpture. In time, Minton's mass-produced porcelain replicas of The Greek Slave were collected in their own right.