A PAIR OF SÈVRES BISCUIT FIGURES OF CUPID AND PSYCHE ON BLEU LAPIS PEDESTALS

Details

A PAIR OF SÈVRES BISCUIT FIGURES OF CUPID AND PSYCHE ON BLEU LAPIS PEDESTALS
CIRCA 1761, CUPID WITH INCISED B AND PSYCHE INCISED F

Seated, the winged Cupid with his finger to his lips and Psyche holding a bow turned toward him, the shaped-circular bases inscribed OMNIA VINCIT AMOR. and ET NOS CEDAMUS AMORI. in black Roman capitals and on a ribbon in a trophy, one with panels of swags and the other with bouquets of flowers, the bleu lapis grounds gilt with slightly varying vermiculé and trellis patterns (his toe restored, extended firing cracks to both bases)--about 12 in. (30cm.) high, overall (2)

Literature

The biscuit figures alone are illustrated by Ruth Berges, Collector's Choice, New York, 1967, pl. 261/2

Lot Essay

These famous Sèvres models are otherwise known as Amours Falconet after their designer Etienne Maurice Falconet director of sculpture at Sèvres from 1757 to 1766. He exhibited the original plaster versions of these figures at the Salons of 1755 (Cupid) and 1761 (Psyche).
The bases on the present examples correspond very closely to the three similar bases (two with Cupid and one with Psyche) in the Wallace Collection, dated 1763. One pedestal in the Wallace Collection has the identical omnia vincit Amor, inscription and gilt decotation.

For the Wallace Collection examples and exhaustive discussion of the genesis, sales records and other recorded specimens of these models see Rosalind Savill, op. cit., pp.823 - 834.

The similar example from the Collection of Lord Willoughby d'Eresby was