Two Meissen Figures of Trinket Sellers from the Paris Street Traders Series, Circa 1745-50| Zwei Mei

modelled by Johann Joachim Kändler, the lady holding a pair of scissors in her right hand, with a box of her wares open before her, wearing a frilled cap and flowered apron, the man holding a black tricorn hat and a tray of wares in his left hand, wearing a white jacket, standing beside a trunk, each on a mound base applied with flowers and leaves, she with traces of crossed swords mark in blue to underside of base, he with crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue to rear of base

Height of lady 7 1/4 in.

18.4 cm.

Height of man 7 1/2 in.

19 cm.

Literature
Horst Reber, Eine Rheinische Porzellan-Sammlung, Darmstadt, 2006, vol. I, p. 186 (the lady) and 193 (the man)

Catalogue note
Kändler, assisted by Eberlein, modelled a series of Parisian street traders which pre-dated the Cris de Paris series and the two other series of London and St. Petersburg street traders. The figures were based on engravings by the Comte de Caylus, after the original drawings by Edmé Bouchardon. Kändler followed the engravings in the series closely and the figures still retain much of the feel of Bouchardon's original drawings. For an example of the figure of the man, illustrated with its corresponding engraving, see Len and Yvonne Adams, Meissen Portrait Figures, London, 1987, p. 98, nos. 12-13, and no. 14 for the porcelain figure of the lady. Another figure of the man is illustrated by Rainer Rückert, Meissener Porzellan 1710-1810, Munich, 1966, pl. 218, no. 894.

Cranfield University used non-invasive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for this lot to screen the green enamel for chromium, which was not detected, a result consistent with 18th century manufacture.
Additional Notices & Disclaimers

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