Meissen porcelain Sultan riding elephant figure

A Meissen porcelain figure of a Sultan riding on an elephant,…
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A Meissen porcelain figure of a Sultan riding on an elephant, circa 1745, modelled by P.J. Reinicke and J.J. Kaendler, the sultan sitting on a patterned cushion and tasselled bolster, wearing a jewelled turban and gilt highlighted purple robe, holding a mace, on a gilt scrolled saddle cloth with tassels, his coloured mahout seated on the elephant's head holding a hammer, blue crossed swords mark in underglaze blue to underside, width 28.5 cm. Provenance: Christie's London, Continental ceramics. The Property of a Gentleman. 7 July 2003, lot 116, Exhibitions: Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 4th June - 5th September 1982. Literature: Jedding, H, 'Meissener Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts in Hamburger Privatbesitz' exhibition catalogue, Hamburg, 1982, p. 210, no. 221 and col. Pl. XIII. Other Notes: for another similar model in the Dresden Porzellansammlung, see: Albiker, C, die Meissner Porzellantiere, Berlin, 1959, no. 255, and for two others in the Ansbach Residenz, see Rukert, R, 'Meissener Porzellan 1710-1810', Munich, 1966, nos. 1060 and 1061, the burgeoning fashion for all things exotic and Oriental in Europe in the 17th century ensured the importation of models of elephants from china and Japan, executed in various media, including porcelain. Two Kakiemon models of standing elephants with trunks raised are recorded at Burghley house, Lincolnshire, in the 17th century, another, mounted as a clock, is in the Munich Residenz, and a fourth is the Dresden Porzellansammlung (see Ayers, J., Impey, O., mallet, J. Et. Al, 'Porcelain for Palaces, the fashion for Japan in Europe 1650-1750', British Museum exhibition catalogue London, 1990, nos. 147 and 160). These elephants are slightly peculiar-looking creatures, modelled with rather creased trunks, almond shaped eyes and humanoid ears, wearing elaborately-decorated saddle-cloths across their backs. The most signficant porcelain decorator at Meissen, J. G. Horoldt, must have been familiar with such depictions as evidenced in his sketchbook.

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  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
  • Kakiemon Porcelain - Kakiemon porcelain was made from the 16th to the 19th century in the Arita area of Japan, and is generally agreed to include some of the finest porcelain made in Japan. It is decorated with polychrome enamels over glaze, the most popular colours being underglaze blue and enamels of green, blue, turquoise yellow and persimmon red.

    The body of a Kakiemon object is pure white porcelain while the enamel overglaze motifs incorporate Japanese and Chinese designs, but leave much of the white surface unpainted. The name derives from the family of potters who are associated with this style of pottery.

    Early Kakiemon porcelain was unmarked, and marks on later objects were variable and unreliable.

    Kakiemon porcelain was first imported into Europe by the Dutch at the end of the 17th century, and became extremely popular, resulting in Kakiemon-style imitations being produced by European potteries including Bow, Chelsea and Worcester in England, Mennery, Samson and St. Cloud in France, Delft in Holland and Meissen in Germany.

    It's rare for an original Kakiemon object to come onto the market, and almost all sold nowadays is of European origin, and described as Kakiemon pattern or Kakiemon style.
  • Jewelled Decoration - Jewelled decoration on ceramics is a technique where small, colourful, and often metallic beads or "jewels" are applied to the surface of ceramic objects to create intricate and highly decorative designs. This technique has been used throughout history and across different cultures, but it was particularly popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in Europe.

    The jewelled decoration is usually applied by hand, one bead at a time, onto a base glaze or enamel. The beads can be made of glass, porcelain, or even precious stones, and are often set in a metal setting, such as gold or silver. The end result is a highly decorative and often luxurious surface, which can add a lot of visual interest and value to the ceramic object.

    Jewelled decoration was used on a wide range of ceramic objects, including vases, plates, bowls, and figurines. It was particularly popular in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, where it was used to create highly stylized and ornate designs.

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