Meissen Commedia Dell’Arte Harlequin With Cymbals Porcelain Figurine, Circa 1924–1934

Details

Description

Bring historic European porcelain artistry to a traditional interior or collector’s cabinet with this finely modeled Meissen porcelain figure of … Read more Bring historic European porcelain artistry to a traditional interior or collector’s cabinet with this finely modeled Meissen porcelain figure of a Dancing Harlequin with Cymbals. The animated Commedia dell’Arte character is shown in lively motion, dressed in a richly hand-painted and gilded costume and playing a pair of raised cymbals.

The figure follows Meissen’s celebrated 18th-century Commedia dell’Arte tradition associated with the factory’s chief modeler, Johann Joachim Kändler (1706–1775). Kändler designed numerous theatrical and Harlequin figures for Meissen, helping establish the factory’s enduring reputation for expressive porcelain sculpture. Museum examples of Kändler-modeled Commedia dell’Arte figures are held by institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

The underside bears the underglaze-blue Meissen crossed-swords factory mark with a small Pfeiffer dot between the blades, a mark used from approximately 1924 to 1934, together with incised model numbers.

Measuring approximately 6 in. high × 5 in. wide, this sculptural porcelain figure offers beautiful color, refined hand-painted decoration, gilded accents, and classic theatrical charm. A striking addition to a porcelain collection, library, mantel, vitrine, or traditional European interior.

Maker: Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, Germany
Model: Dancing Harlequin with Cymbals, after a Kändler model
Date: Circa 1924–1934, based on the crossed-swords mark with Pfeiffer dot See less