Flora and Zephyrus
Group
ca. 1770 (made)
ca. 1770 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Figure group, in hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels and gilded, of Flora sitting on a rocky bank, half-reclining, with a bouquet of flowers in her right hand and her left arm resting on the shoulder of Zephyrus, towards whom her head is turned; zephyrus sits by her side, offering her a basket of flowers, which he places with his left hand on her lap; a larger basket containing flowers stands at his feet; Cupid, with his quiver slung, lies naked beside the rock, tugging with his left hand at a pink mantle, which is thrown over the rock; the left arm of Flora, and the lower part of her body and limbs are covered with yellow-lined drapery, decorated with sprigs of flowers in circular medallions surrounded by gilt wreaths and reserved on a bluish-green ground; drapery with similar lining and gilt sprays on a crimson ground is thrown over the knees of Zephyrus; the group rests on an oblong base rounded at the corners and decorated in front with symmetrical gilt scrollwork. Several aesthetic elements point towards the Plymouth factory as the place of production. This includes: the hollow nature of the figure group, the glazed interior, the fact that the glaze in the interior is smoke-stained, the gilding on the base and the inserted yellow flowers into the floral arrangement.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Flora and Zephyrus (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Hard-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilded |
Brief description | Figure group of hard-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilded, of 'Zephyrus, Flora and Cupid', of hard-paste porcelain, made by William Cookworthy, porcelain factory, Plymouth, ca. 1770. |
Physical description | Figure group, in hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels and gilded, of Flora sitting on a rocky bank, half-reclining, with a bouquet of flowers in her right hand and her left arm resting on the shoulder of Zephyrus, towards whom her head is turned; zephyrus sits by her side, offering her a basket of flowers, which he places with his left hand on her lap; a larger basket containing flowers stands at his feet; Cupid, with his quiver slung, lies naked beside the rock, tugging with his left hand at a pink mantle, which is thrown over the rock; the left arm of Flora, and the lower part of her body and limbs are covered with yellow-lined drapery, decorated with sprigs of flowers in circular medallions surrounded by gilt wreaths and reserved on a bluish-green ground; drapery with similar lining and gilt sprays on a crimson ground is thrown over the knees of Zephyrus; the group rests on an oblong base rounded at the corners and decorated in front with symmetrical gilt scrollwork. Several aesthetic elements point towards the Plymouth factory as the place of production. This includes: the hollow nature of the figure group, the glazed interior, the fact that the glaze in the interior is smoke-stained, the gilding on the base and the inserted yellow flowers into the floral arrangement. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Given by Lady Charlotte Schreiber |
Object history | Purchased by Lady Charlotte Schreiber from Jacobs, London, for £15 in March 1869. According to ancient myth, Zephyr was one of the four winds and Flora was the goddess of flowers. Their union signified the arrival of spring and the renewal of life and it was a suitable subject to commemorate a wedding. This subject gained popularity across the Continent during the early and mid-eighteenth centuries. |
Subjects depicted | |
Bibliographic reference | Honey, W.B. Old English Porcelain: A Handbook for Collectors. London : Faber & Faber, 1977. opp 241 p, col. pl. D |
Other number | Sch. I 731 - Schreiber number |
Collection | |
Accession number | 414:728-1885 |
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Record created | February 10, 2009 |
Record URL |
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