Hand-Painted Porcelain Court Lady Figurine by Samson Paris in the style of Meissen

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A lavishly patterned floral robe and tiered skirt define this porcelain figure of an eighteenth-century court lady, modelled in the … Read more A lavishly patterned floral robe and tiered skirt define this porcelain figure of an eighteenth-century court lady, modelled in the Rococo revival taste. Standing in a poised contrapposto posture, the aristocratic figure is depicted with softly swept grey-powdered hair beneath a modest lace cap, turning her head slightly to the left. She wears an open robe draped over broad side panniers, decorated with scattered polychrome floral sprays in purple, iron-red, yellow, and blue enamel against a clean white ground. Beneath her low-cut neckline sits a fitted striped bodice with delicate puce horizontal dash work and turquoise trim, offset by deep, ruffled white lace sleeves emerging from under a draped lilac shawl. The voluminous underskirt falls in three tiered flounces enriched with elaborate gilt scrollwork, stylised foliate sprays, and dentil borders. A broad pale-blue sash falls behind her waist in heavy drapery folds, complementing the powder-blue pointed court slippers emerging from beneath the lower hem. The figure stands atop an integral naturalistic mound base tinted with subtle green washes, bordered by moulded Rococo C-scrolls and acanthus flourishes picked out in burnished gold leaf. Produced in Paris by the celebrated workshop of Edmé Samson et Cie, probably around 1880, this statuette exemplifies the firm's skilled interpretations of eighteenth-century Meissen porcelain models. Samson specialised in reproducing historic ceramic designs from European and Asian manufactories, capturing the graceful lines and intricate enamelling of earlier courtly figurines. The hollow glazed base displays a painted blue mark inspired by German factory marks, alongside faint impressed numerals and a standard kiln vent hole. The figurine stands approximately 23.5 cm high. It remains a striking display piece for a collector's cabinet or mantelpiece, retaining bright overglaze colours and well-preserved porcelain throughout. See less