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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Figure

ca. 1740 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Figure of a greeting Harlequin of hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels. He is against a stump, towing with left foot forward and sweeping his hat low held with both hands. He has a white ruff and lozenge-diapered suit painted in black, blue and yellow, with red and gold brim, and beige shoes with red rosettes and black heels, and a brown slapstick in a grey belt.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels
Brief description
Figure of greeting Harlequin, hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels, modelled by J.J. Kändler, made by Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, ca. 1740.
Physical description
Figure of a greeting Harlequin of hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels. He is against a stump, towing with left foot forward and sweeping his hat low held with both hands. He has a white ruff and lozenge-diapered suit painted in black, blue and yellow, with red and gold brim, and beige shoes with red rosettes and black heels, and a brown slapstick in a grey belt.
Dimensions
  • Height: 15.6cm
  • Toe to plinth length: 13.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • Scrolling 'N' (Inscribed in blue/black (indistinct))
  • '43' (Incised on upper surface of base)
Credit line
Given by Mrs O. J. Finney in memory of Oswald James Finney
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceCommedia dell'arte
Bibliographic references
  • Hackenbroch, Yvonne. Meissen and other continental porcelain, faience and enamel in the Irwin Untermyer collection. Cambridge, Published for the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Harvard University Press, 1956, Fig. 53.
  • Jansen, Reinhard, ed. Commedia Dell'Arte, Fest der Komödianten, Keramische Kostbarkeiten aus den Museen der Welt Stuttgart: Arnoldsche, 2001, Cat. 16.
Collection
Accession number
C.12-1984

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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