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Lot 151

A Meissen group of Mercury, circa 1762

Withdrawn
Amended
14 June 2017, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

£1,000 - £1,500

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A Meissen group of Mercury, circa 1762

Probably modelled by J.J. Kaendler, in two separate parts, the top half with Mercury seated on clouds wearing a cloak decorated with indianische Blumen, the caduceus in his left hand and his right arm raised, the bottom half a cloud base with a nude nymph peering out from behind, 16.5cm and 16.7cm high, crossed swords marks in underglaze-blue and blue (little finger restored, minor chips) (2)

Footnotes

This two-part group seems to have been part of a larger centrepiece group, based on the painting "Mercury confiding the Infant Bacchus to the Nymphs" by François Boucher of circa 1732-34, which is in the Wallace Collection, London. It has been attributed to Kaendler, because of its similarity to other known Kaendler models, such as the centrepiece for the dessert service ordered by Frederick the Great of Prussia at the end of 1761, depicting Apollo on Parnassus; see Katharina Christiane Herzog, Mythologische Kleinplastik in Meißener Porzellan 1710-1775 (2012), cat. no. 155.
Unfortunately, it is not known what or who the model was originally meant for, but it seems likely that Frederick the Great ordered it, as the factory was under Prussian control at this time. See K. Herzog (2012), no.13, cat. no. 153, for a full discussion and a drawing of the model from the factory archives.
Another section of the group, depicting a nymph holding the baby Bacchus, is in the collection of the National Museum in Stockholm.

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Please note, this lot is withdrawn.

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