Figure thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Figure

ca. 1750-55 (made)
Artist/Maker
Doccia (manufacturer)
Place of origin
Doccia (made)

Figure in hard-paste porcelain from The Italian Comedy, painted with enamels and gilded. He stands with his right arm held forward and he wears a black mask and flat cap, full-skirted jacket, cloak and trousers. Square low base marked with brown and yellow.

Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Porcelain
Object type
Figure
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilded
Hard Paste Porcelain
Painted
Gilded
Brief description
Figure in hard-paste porcelain from The Italian Comedy, Doccia porcelain factory, near Florence, ca. 1750-55
Physical description
Figure in hard-paste porcelain from The Italian Comedy, painted with enamels and gilded. He stands with his right arm held forward and he wears a black mask and flat cap, full-skirted jacket, cloak and trousers. Square low base marked with brown and yellow.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.8cm
Gallery label
(ca. 1995)
Figure from The Italian Comedy
Porcelain
ITALY (VENICE, COZZI); about 1770
Gift of Mr. W.A.J. Floersheim
C.176-1931
(Label draft attributed to John V. G. Mallet, ca. 1995)
Credit line
Given by Mr. W.A.J. Floersheim
Subject depicted
Figure
Bibliographic references
  • Frescobaldi Malenchini, Livia ed. With Balleri, Rita and Rucellai, Oliva, ‘Amici di Doccia Quaderni, Numero VII, 2013, The Victoria and Albert Museum Collection’, Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze, 2014 p. 59, Cat. 32 32. Figure of Brighella 1755-1760 hard-paste porcelain painted in colours and gold h 9,8 cm under the base a line incised inv. C.176-1931 gift: Mr W.A.J. Floersheim This figure of Brighella, once attributed to the Cozzi factory by Morazzoni and by Lane, is actually part of the series of Commedia dell’ Arte characters made by the Ginori factory at Doccia during the First Period (1737-1757). Like the other Commedia characters, at Ginori the figure of Brighella was made in two sizes: a smaller size which corresponds to the measurements of the figure shown here, and a large size which was slightly over 20 cm tall. A list attached to the warehouse inventory in Livorno in 1757 mentions “a Brighella of the Commedia Italiana 9 soldi tall, not perfect” which would correspond to the height of the larger version. Like the other Commedia figures made at Doccia, Brighella is quite similar to an engraving by Martin Engelbrecht made around 1740 and to the Commedia figures being Executed at the Viennese porcelain factory between 1744 and 1749 (STURM-BEDNARCZYCK, SLADEK 2007, p. 180, cat. 284). For further historical information, see cat. 33. A. d’A Bibliography: MORAZZONI 1935, plate 79; LANE 1954, plate 25D
  • Jansen, Reinhard (ed.), Commedia dell'arte : Fest der Komödianten : Keramische Kostbarkeiten den Museen der Welt, Stuttgart, 2001
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
C.176-1931

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O333853/figure-doccia/
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