.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
First modeled by Kändler in January 1741, the present models were conceived as a pair, noted as follows in Kändler's Taxa entry of 1748 covering the period 1740-1744: One cat seated holding a mouse in the mouth and playing with it. The companion looking towards it". Cf. Carl Albiker, Die Meissener Porzellantiere im 18. Jahrhundert, Berlin, 1959, no. 216.
The model proved popular and many examples were produced at Meissen both as singles and pairs, each with slightly variant markings. However, aside from the present pair, only three other ormolu-mounted pair have been seen at auction in nearly fifty years: The pair on Louis XVI style ormolu bases with melon feet from the collection of Baroness Burton, sold Christie's, London 22 November 1950, lot 195 and again at Sotheby's, London, as the property of S.H. Lebus, 20 May 1959, lot 137; the pair on Louis XVI style mounts raised on bun feet from the collection of Oscar Dusendschon, sold Sotheby's, London, 6 December 1960, lot 132 and again as from the estate of Nelson Rockefeller at Sotheby's, New York, 11 April 1980, lot 170; and the pair on period Louis XV canted rectangular mounts, sold Christie's, Geneva, 16 November 1981, lot 154.
It is interesting to note the similarity in both pose and markings between the Meissen models and Japanese 'Maneki Neko' or bobtail cats. Images of these Japanese white cats with dark markings were exported to Europe as early as the 18th century, although the heyday of the conception is in the 19th century. A mid-18th century scroll attributed to Narushima Kinkou ("Genji Hokei", 1689-1760) depicting two such cats licking their paws is known. The Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo is decorated with rows of these cats, each with its paw raised in geeting, now taken as a symbol of good luck. It is tempting to think that Kändler may have known these images and was, perhaps, inspired by them.
The dating of the porcelain paste and the decoration on the present
pair has been confirmed through quantitative x-ray fluorescence performed on the porcelain paste and qualitative x-ray fluorescence done on the enamels in the conservation science laboratory at Winterthur under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Mass.
The model proved popular and many examples were produced at Meissen both as singles and pairs, each with slightly variant markings. However, aside from the present pair, only three other ormolu-mounted pair have been seen at auction in nearly fifty years: The pair on Louis XVI style ormolu bases with melon feet from the collection of Baroness Burton, sold Christie's, London 22 November 1950, lot 195 and again at Sotheby's, London, as the property of S.H. Lebus, 20 May 1959, lot 137; the pair on Louis XVI style mounts raised on bun feet from the collection of Oscar Dusendschon, sold Sotheby's, London, 6 December 1960, lot 132 and again as from the estate of Nelson Rockefeller at Sotheby's, New York, 11 April 1980, lot 170; and the pair on period Louis XV canted rectangular mounts, sold Christie's, Geneva, 16 November 1981, lot 154.
It is interesting to note the similarity in both pose and markings between the Meissen models and Japanese 'Maneki Neko' or bobtail cats. Images of these Japanese white cats with dark markings were exported to Europe as early as the 18th century, although the heyday of the conception is in the 19th century. A mid-18th century scroll attributed to Narushima Kinkou ("Genji Hokei", 1689-1760) depicting two such cats licking their paws is known. The Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo is decorated with rows of these cats, each with its paw raised in geeting, now taken as a symbol of good luck. It is tempting to think that Kändler may have known these images and was, perhaps, inspired by them.
The dating of the porcelain paste and the decoration on the present
pair has been confirmed through quantitative x-ray fluorescence performed on the porcelain paste and qualitative x-ray fluorescence done on the enamels in the conservation science laboratory at Winterthur under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Mass.