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Lot Essay
Other tureens of this model were sold Christie's, London, 7 July 1985, lot 106; as well as The Collection of René Fribourg, Sotheby's, London, 25 June 1963, lot 19; 4 June 1974, lot 187; 21 October 1975, lot 184; and 17 June 1986, lot 246.
Though dolphins were a popular decorative element in 18th century silver and porcelain, stand-alone figures like the present tureen are far less common. The popularity of the dolphin in its traditional 'supporting' role is evidenced by surtout de table, finials, and tureen feet in the Swan Service. A single much smaller Delphin figure was also made for the service, but at 8 cm. it was much less prominent than a tureen and would have been absorbed into the larger table setting. (Compare Scwanen service, Meissner Porzellan für Heinrich Graf von Brühl, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, 2000, p. 45, fig. 30 and 31; p. 165, cat. no. 39; p. 186, cat. no. 77; and p. 193, cat. no. 98.)
Though dolphins were a popular decorative element in 18th century silver and porcelain, stand-alone figures like the present tureen are far less common. The popularity of the dolphin in its traditional 'supporting' role is evidenced by surtout de table, finials, and tureen feet in the Swan Service. A single much smaller Delphin figure was also made for the service, but at 8 cm. it was much less prominent than a tureen and would have been absorbed into the larger table setting. (Compare Scwanen service, Meissner Porzellan für Heinrich Graf von Brühl, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, 2000, p. 45, fig. 30 and 31; p. 165, cat. no. 39; p. 186, cat. no. 77; and p. 193, cat. no. 98.)