Augustus the Strong's alchemical quest for the secret of porcelain led to these most magnificent creatures. Longleat's porcelain collections have characteristically focused on excellence, with examples from some of the world's greatest porcelain factories and achievements. The crowning glories, however, must be the astonishing early Meissen porcelain animals and birds, of which four duplicates are being sold from the collection of ten. They originate from the world-renowned series of about 300 created between 1731-35 for Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. Augustus was fabulously wealthy and extravagant, with a flair for the truly outlandish and exotic. Under his rule, Dresden became the greatest baroque city in northern Germany, and his glittering court rivalled Versailles. It was here that the very secret of porcelain manufacture was discovered by his alchemist, Johann Friedrich Böttger - Augustus was obsessed with porcelain, which, at the time, was incredibly rare and precious. To provide a showcase for his collection of Oriental porcelain (perhaps the greatest in the western world) and the innovative wares made by his own factory at Meissen, Augustus turned Dresden's small Dutch Palace into the now famous, more imposing Japanese Palace. He commissioned a gallery of life-size porcelain animals and birds to mimic the real creatures in his menageries and aviaries. Nothing like this has ever been attempted before or since. The task of creating the animals was initially given to the chief modeller for the court, Gottlieb Kirchner, in 1730. Porcelain was still a new medium, and the process of realising these sculptures on such a monumental scale was fraught with problems, resulting in the distinctive firing-cracks that characterise the models. From 1731 Johann Joachim Kändler was Kirchner's assistant. Now regarded as one of the world's greatest porcelain modellers, Kändler had never worked in porcelain before and his style and techniques evolved with the project. The two vulture models from Longleat are early Kändler models, somewhat stylised and still influenced by Kirchner. However, the turkey is pure Kändler, in his fully matured style, demonstrating both his great understanding of the medium and his phenomenal talent for the close observation of nature. Kirchner's work is exemplified in the Longleat animals by the model of a fox. Most of the models have lost their original colours; they were once decorated in a realistic manner in unfired oil-based colours that have worn away with time - the models were simply too large for a second firing in the kiln to fix enamel colours. This plain white state only serves to emphasise their sculptural qualities and the sheer achievement of making such large sculptures in porcelain at such an early date. Had Augustus' interest in the project not waned, it might have achieved, on completion, the necessary stability to ensure its survival. But the collections were dispersed to other palaces and duplicate animals were sold in the 19th and 20th centuries. These examples made their way to Longleat. Other porcelain came to Longleat in the 18th and 19th centuries. Perhaps the most significant among the exquisite French porcelain in the sale is a Sèvres dinner service of classically elegant decoration. But who would not be charmed by the Vincennes butter-tub, gilt with birds in flight on a blue-ground in the typical earlier style, and exuding rococo refinement? Or the tureen, cover and stand, painted with flamboyant exotic birds? Rare examples from the Bow factory in London include baskets painted by James Welsh, whose delicate flower and insect painting is the best known of any of the painters at that factory. An extraordinary rarity is the Bow dinner service that has probably been in the family virtually from its day of manufacture in the 1750s, painted with the distinctive Two Quails pattern derived from Japanese Imari porcelain. A large early Bow tureen of silver shape is painted in the exuberant Kakiemon colours with the eccentrically named Flaming Tortoise pattern. There are exquisite sets of Chelsea plates, painted with exotic birds within blue and gilt borders, typical of that factory's output in the 1760s. A wonderful tea bowl, saucer and dish is painted by the famous London decorator, James Giles, in a delightful monochrome green palette, with figures in romantic landscapes. The treasure houses of Britain are justly famed world-wide for reflecting the highest excellence in every field of art collecting, and Longleat exemplifies this. The porcelain collection alone forms an extraordinary reflection of the development of collecting and taste during the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain's greatest houses - and also documents the fascinating and evolving history of porcelain. Paul Tippett is the senior international specialist for the Porcelain Department. Back to top  |  Back to article list Sale 6594, Lot 350 By G. Kirchner A Meissen white model of a fox, circa 1732 Estimate: £400,000-600,000 Sale 6594, Lot 351 By G. Kirchner A Meissen white model of a turkey, circa 1733 Estimate: £300,000-400,000