Rivals, Spies, and the Quest for White Gold: Rienzis Porcelain Masterpieces

Rienzi Center for European Decorative Arts, MFAH presents Rivals, Spies, and the Quest for White Gold: Rienzi's Porcelain Masterpieces.

Discover Rienzi's porcelain splendors! This docent-led tour introduces you to the inspiring development of "white gold" in Europe during the 18th century.

Explore the monarchs and vibrant commercial markets that fed the rise of the extraordinary porcelain creations at Meissen, Sèvres, and Worcester. Fueled by rivalry and scientific innovation, these masterpieces reveal the increasing standards of patrons, the diverse function of wares, and the exquisite skill of Europe's modelers, painters, and gilders.

Rienzi, the MFAH house museum for European decorative arts and paintings, comprises a remarkable art collection, house, and gardens. Throughout the year Rienzi offers a variety of programs, including tours of the collection; concerts and recitals; and family activities.

Pictured: Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, Plate from the Service Arabesque, Assiette Octogone (detail), 1784, soft-paste porcelain, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Rienzi Collection, Museum purchase funded by Carol C. Ballard, Rose and Harry H. Cullen, Isla and Tommy Reckling, Jas A. Gundry, Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Hudson, Jr., Mrs. Thomas W. Blake, Mr. and Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis, Mr. and Mrs. David Beveridge, Harriett S. Goodman, Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff, and Maria Buke Butler, with additonal funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III, by exchange..