Lot Essay
For Sèvres examples modelled by Taraval in 1773 on which the present group is based, see Anon. sale, Christie's London, 8 November 1999, lot 144 and Christie's, New York, 22 October 2003, lot 257, the first of which is incised with the initials LR for Louis Riche, director of the sculpture workshop 1780-1801.