THE PORCELAIN UPRIGHTS BY DAGOTY, PARIS, CIRCA 1805

Black-decorated, or bronzed, porcelain was first produced in France at the Niderville manufactory in the 1760s inspired by Wedgewood’s novel basaltware. The porcelain factories of Sèvres, Dihl, and Dagoty followed in the early 1800s and perfected the method of bronzed porcelain, often enhancing it with gilt decoration. The caryatid figures of this lot are based on a design of circa 1800 by Charles Percier for a console table in the Egyptian taste, the drawing of which is now retained at the Louvre (inv. RF 30630). Percier's conception is not based on an exact historic prototype, although the original spirit of Egyptian sculpture is clearly evident. These figures intended to depict Egyptian female deities and were sometimes described as nubiennes. Identical porcelain figures following Percier’s design were produced by Dagoty circa 1805, see R. de Plinval de Guillebon, Les Biscuits de Porcelaine de Paris, Dijon, 2012, p. 166, fig. 138. The model was adapted for a mahogany console table supported on the head of Egyptian caryatid figures now in the collection of the Grand Trianon, Versailles. The popularity of the model is evidenced by the fact that the noted bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire adapted the model circa 1805 as a pair of candelabra with candle arms issuing from each figure's head.