Figure thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 145

Figure

ca. 1740 (made), ca. 1740-1741 (made)
Artist/Maker
Meissen Porcelain Factory (manufacturer)
Kändler, Johann Joachim (modeller)
Place of origin
Meissen (made)

In the 1740s the Meissen modeller J. J. Kaendler devised a wide range of porcelain figures for table decoration. The most popular were probably characters from the Italian Opera. This was a popular satirical travelling theatre, from which the miniature Punch and Judy developed in the 1800s. The colourful figure of Harlequin could be displayed in many postures and guises.


Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Porcelain
Figures & Decorative Ceramics
SCRAN
Object type
Figure
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain, painted in enamel colours and gilded
Hard Paste Porcelain
Painted
Moulded
Gilded
Brief description
Figure of Harlequin, hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels and gilt, modelled by J. J. Kaendler, ca. 1740-41, made by Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, about 1740
Physical description
Hard-paste porcelain figure of Harlequin propped against a tree stump, his face with a mischievious expression as he pulls the tail of a complaining pug dog held under his left arm as if winding the handle of a hurdy-gurdy, painted in enamel colours and gilded.
Dimensions
  • Height: 17.1cm
  • Width: 10.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
'I' (Impressed on base)
Credit line
Given by Mrs O. J. Finney in memory of Oswald James Finney
Subjects depicted
Commedia Dell'arte
Harlequin
Summary
In the 1740s the Meissen modeller J. J. Kaendler devised a wide range of porcelain figures for table decoration. The most popular were probably characters from the Italian Opera. This was a popular satirical travelling theatre, from which the miniature Punch and Judy developed in the 1800s. The colourful figure of Harlequin could be displayed in many postures and guises.
Bibliographic references
  • Hildyard, Robin. European Ceramics. London : V&A Publications, 1999. 144 p., ill. ISBN 185177260X
  • Jansen, Reinhard, ed. Commedia Dell'Arte, Fest der Komödianten, Keramische Kostbarkeiten aus den Museen der Welt with essays by Ulrich Pietsch, Meredith Chilton, Reinhard Jansen, Samuel Wittwer etc. Catalogue of the exhibition held at Schloss Charlottenburg and the Bröhan Museum, 2001, together with separate summary in English and booklet of source prints. Stuttgart: Arnoldsche, 2001
  • Rafael, Johannes Zur "Taxa Kaendler", Keramos 203/204, 2009 pp. 25-69, including a full transcription of the 'Taxa' and parallel text in German and English. Keramos is the quarterly magazine of Ceramics Society of Düsseldorf, editor, Dr. Alfred Ziffer, January-April, Deggendorf, 2009
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
C.9-1984

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 28, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70985/figure-kändler-johann-joachim/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest