CIRCA 1744, IMPRESSED INDISTINCT NUMERAL

Reinicke notes in his work book in September 1744: '1 Italienische Comödien-Figur, Narcisino Malabergo, in Thon bouhsirt' (1 Italian comedy figure, Narcisino Malabergo, modelled in clay). See Meredith Chilton, 'The Duke of Weissenfels Series' in Reinhard Jansen (ed.), Commedia dell'Arte Fest der Komödianten, Stuttgart, 2001, p. 53, no. 32 for a similar example, and the Pauls-Eisenbeiss Collection (inv. no. 1975.1086.13) for another example in the Historisches Museum, Basel, illustrated by Dr. Erika Pauls-Eisenbeiss, German Porcelain of the 18th Century, London, 1972, Vol. I, p. 337, no. 16.

This figure is modelled after the engraving 'Habit de Narcisin de Malalbergo' by François Joullain in Luigi Riccoboni's Histoire du Théâtre Italien, Paris, 1728.