Anna Burnside
Head of Sale
Lot 54
A very rare Chelsea white model of a sphinx, circa 1750
1 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£8,000 - £12,000
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Jim Peake
Head of Department
Fergus Gambon
Director
A very rare Chelsea white model of a sphinx, circa 1750
The scantily draped maiden with her head turned slightly to the left, her long hair falling to her shoulders, with a lioness's body covered with a tasselled saddlecloth, on a rectangular octagonal base undercut around the edges, 14.8cm long
Footnotes
Provenance
L A Harrison Collection, Sotheby's, 28 May 1937, lot 42
Sotheby's, 29 June 1965, lot 115
Rous Lench Collection, Christie's, 30 May 1990, lot 349
With Brian Haughton Antiques
With Roderick Jellicoe, 2013
Literature
White, Mary, People at the Whites' House, Vol.5, 2024, p.64
Traditionally the head of this figure is said to be a likeness of the popular Irish actress Peg Woffington (1718-1760). While the inspiration for this model is unclear, it has been suggested that it could be a print engraved by Jacques-François Blondel, De La Distribution des Maisons de Plaisance, et de la Decoration des Edifices en General, Vol.2, 1738, pp.24-5, pl.23, see Hugh Tait, 'Some consequences of the Bow Porcelain Special Exhibition part III', Apollo, June 1960, pp.183-5. A similar pair of Chelsea white sphinxes at Colonial Williamsburg is illustrated to John C Austin, Chelsea Porcelain at Williamsburg, 1977, pp.116-7, no.108 and also by Elizabeth Adams, Chelsea Porcelain, 2001, p.94, fig.7.39. An example in the national Gallery of Victoria is illustrated by Margaret Legge, Flowers and Fables, 1984, p.27, no.19. Another from the Nigel Morgan Collection was exhibited by E & H Manners, 2009, no.4. Models of sphinxes with elaborate rococo scrolled bases were produced at Bow, see lot 147 in this sale.