bramblepatch
I’m watching British Antiques Roadshow and the expert is explaining about how to tell high quality monkey orchestra figurines from lower-quality knockoffs
monkey orchestra being a style of hugely popular porcelain figures from the 1750s. they started making them after someone said the king’s orchestra sounded like trained monkeys during a banquet and the king thought that was so funny that someone went home and started sculpting porcelain monkeys in formal dress with musical instruments to give to the king and then suddenly everyone wanted a porcelain monkey orchestra to display at parties.
it’s a stupid in-joke that suddenly everyone needed. it’s a popular meme from the 1750s. this is like 18th century rare pepes. this is amazing.
