Figure
ca. 1744-1745 (made), 1744 (modelled)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
'The Order of the Pug' was a type of Masonic society founded in 1740 by Klemens August of Bavaria after the Pope forbade Catholics from becoming Freemasons in 1738. The Society's symbol was the pug dog (or Mops in German) which stood for loyalty, fidelity and steadfastness. Unlike the Masons at the time, it was also notable in that they allowed women to become members, providing they were Catholics.
Although the Order was supposed to be a secret society, the Meissen modeller Kändler made many different models of pugs and figures holding pug dogs, presumably reflecting its popularity during the 1740s.
Although the Order was supposed to be a secret society, the Meissen modeller Kändler made many different models of pugs and figures holding pug dogs, presumably reflecting its popularity during the 1740s.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Hard-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilded |
| Brief description | Hard-paste porcelain figure of a member of the Order of the Pug, modelled by J.J. Kändler, made at the Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, ca. 1744-45 |
| Physical description | Hard-paste porcelain figure of a young woman wearing a full skirted overdress in salmon pink reserved with 'indianische blumen', open to reveal an orange underskirt and frilled bodice, the turned back collar with military style trimming, holding a pug dog resting on her skirts with her left arm, another at her feet looking out from under her skirts, set on a high pedestal base decorated with fielded panels of faux marbling in salmon pink and black, the rims picked out in gold. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | '34' (Impressed mark on base) |
| Credit line | Purchased with the assistance of the Murray Bequest |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | 'The Order of the Pug' was a type of Masonic society founded in 1740 by Klemens August of Bavaria after the Pope forbade Catholics from becoming Freemasons in 1738. The Society's symbol was the pug dog (or Mops in German) which stood for loyalty, fidelity and steadfastness. Unlike the Masons at the time, it was also notable in that they allowed women to become members, providing they were Catholics. Although the Order was supposed to be a secret society, the Meissen modeller Kändler made many different models of pugs and figures holding pug dogs, presumably reflecting its popularity during the 1740s. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.796-1936 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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