CIRCA 1740, IMPRESSED TWICE WITH PRESSNUMMER 48

Details

A Meissen model of the greeting Harlequin
Circa 1740, impressed twice with Pressnummer 48
Modelled by J.J. Kändler, in a white ruff, yellow and blue jacket with gilt lines and red rosettes to the front, a slap-stick tucked beneath a black belt at his waist, yellow and blue breeches with gilt lines and red rosettes down the outside of the legs and black shoes, seated on a tree-stump and leaning forward with his head turned to his right, his outstretched hands clutching his grey hat, on a shaped oval low mound base applied with foliage (lower part of slap-stick lacking and related small restoration to belt)
6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm.) high

Provenance

With Wittekind
With Galerie Almas, Münich

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The 'grussender Harlequin' may be considered among Kändler's greatest of models. The present example shows particularly felicitous counter-changed decoration in strong and simple tones, typical of the best pieces decorated under the modellmeister's personal supervision. Kändler's Taxa records the model as 'A Harlequin with his hat making a very deep bow. 2 Thalers.' See Rainer Rückert, Meissener Porzellan (1966), p. 21, no. 888 for another example of this model.

Examples of this figure were in the sales of the Klemperer, Baer, Budge and Fribourg Collections, but no figure of this quality has appeared on the market for many years.

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