Not on display

Commedia dell'Arte figurine

Figurine
20th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This figurine of Razullo was produced by the Meissen factory in the Dresden area of Germany, established in 1706 and famous for being the first European factory to discover the secret of producing hard-paste porcelain. It was modelled after a Johann Kaendler figure of 1758. Kaendler was the talented sculptor who worked for Meissen specialising in figures, groups, and wonderfully modelled wreaths of flowers, clusters of fruit and swinging Cupids, executed in the round.

Kaendler (1706-1775) modelled this figure after an etching by Jacques Callot (1592-1635) from a series of prints entitled Balli di Sfessania, c.1622, showing dances known as the 'sfessania', characterised by violent contortions and gesticulations. Callot's etching depicts the Commedia dell'Arte characters Razullo and Cucurucu in the foreground with a performance on stage behind them. Razullo plays on a long-necked stringed instrument while Cucurucu dances. The museum owns the pair to this figure, that of Cucurucu (S.886-1981).

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCommedia dell'Arte figurine (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Glazed porcelain
Brief description
Polychrome glazed figurine of Razullo from the Commedia dell'arte, Meissen porcelain, 20th century, after a Johann Kaendler figure of 1758. Harry R. Beard Collection
Physical description
Figurine of a man dressed in a purple body suit with pale yelllow cuffs and a row of large moulded buttons down the front, and red shoes. He is wearing a half mask with an exaggerated red nose. He leans back against a tree stump, looking up and to his left, and plays a long-necked stringed instrument, plucking the strings with his left hand.
Dimensions
  • Height: 12.0cm
  • Maximum width width: 7.0cm
  • Of base width: 5.0cm
  • Of base depth: 6.0cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Blue painted mark dated 1758 (On base)
  • Imprinted numbers 'V20577' (On base)
  • Gold painted '7' (On base)
Credit line
Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard
Production
After a Johann Kaendler figure of 1758 which was modelled on an engraving from Jacques Callot's Balli di Sfessania' series, ca.1622.
Subject depicted
Literary referenceCommedia dell'Arte
Summary
This figurine of Razullo was produced by the Meissen factory in the Dresden area of Germany, established in 1706 and famous for being the first European factory to discover the secret of producing hard-paste porcelain. It was modelled after a Johann Kaendler figure of 1758. Kaendler was the talented sculptor who worked for Meissen specialising in figures, groups, and wonderfully modelled wreaths of flowers, clusters of fruit and swinging Cupids, executed in the round.

Kaendler (1706-1775) modelled this figure after an etching by Jacques Callot (1592-1635) from a series of prints entitled Balli di Sfessania, c.1622, showing dances known as the 'sfessania', characterised by violent contortions and gesticulations. Callot's etching depicts the Commedia dell'Arte characters Razullo and Cucurucu in the foreground with a performance on stage behind them. Razullo plays on a long-necked stringed instrument while Cucurucu dances. The museum owns the pair to this figure, that of Cucurucu (S.886-1981).
Associated object
S.886-1981 (Object)
Collection
Accession number
S.887-1981

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Record createdJanuary 12, 2006
Record URL
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