CIRCA 1750, BLUE CROSSED SWORDS MARKS TO THE BACK OF EACH BASE, ONE TWICE IMPRESSED 42, THE MODELS ATTRIBUTED TO J.J. KÄNDLER

A similar pair of these wolverines or bears are illustrated by Melitta Kunze-Köllensperger, Alexanders Tiere, Sammlung Axel Guttmann, Berlin, 1999, vol. VII, pp. 32-33, no. 9, where the author calls them bears, and on p. 111 notes that there has been much debate about the species of this model, noting that they are sometimes called badgers, and although similar in form to badgers, they lack the distinctive striped markings to their heads. Kunze-Köllensperger cites Kändler’s September 1741 work reports entry: Zwei Bähre gegeneinander [two bears facing each other], and the entry in his Taxa for two bears modeled out of hours: 2 Bären gegen einander sehend, pro 1 Stück…. 3 Thlr [two bears facing each other… 3 Thalers each]⁽¹⁾, however, the same entries are cited by Sarah-Katharina Andres-Acevedo for a pair of bears facing each other which are standing⁽²⁾, and these standing models are illustrated by Carl Albiker who cited the same entries⁽³⁾. Claudia Bodinek referred to a pair of similar models as badgers, see Bodinek, ‘Animal fights and hunting’ in Alfredo Reyes and Claudia Bodinek (eds.), Magnificence of Rococo, Wawel Castle, Cracow, May-September 2024 Exhibition Catalogue, Stuttgart, 2024, p. 183, where she notes that the model numbers for these models suggests a date of late 1749 or early 1750. In October 2025, the dealers Trias Art of Munich exhibited a pair of models (similar to the present lot) in London calling them Wolverines (Latin species: Gulo Gulo).

1. Citing Johannes Rafael, ‘Zur “Taxa Kaendler”’ in Keramos 203⁄204, 2009, p. 52.
2. Sarah-Katharina Andres-Acevedo, Die Autonomen Figürlichen Plastiken Johann Joachim Kaendlers und seiner Werkstatt, Stuttgart, 2023, vol. 2, p. 122, no. 315.
3. Carl Albiker, Die Meissner Porzellantiere im 18. Jahrhundert, Berlin, 1959, no. 172.