# Figure of Pantalone

- By: Mennecy Factory (French)
- By: Mennecy- Villeroy Factory (French)
- Date: c. 1755
- Medium: soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration
- Classification: Ceramic
- Dimensions: Overall: 20 x 7 x 9.9 cm (7 7/8 x 2 3/4 x 3 7/8 in.)
- Culture: France, Mennecy, 18th century
- Credit line: Gift of Rosenberg & Stiebel, Inc.
- Museum: [Cleveland Museum of Art](https://clevelandart.org/art/1948.54)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1948.54/1948.54_web.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

The commedia dell’arte, a form of Italian improvisational theater, became widely popular in 18th-century Europe. This figure, with his prominent beard and distinguishing black robe, represents the character of elderly Venetian merchant Pantalone. Depicted in paintings and porcelain, the popularity of these figures demonstrated the influence of the theater on the tastes of the wealthy.