Lot 163 , An extremely rare Girl-on-a-Horse or Compass Marked figure of an exotic bird, c. 1755, h. 16.5cm, losses and cracks
An extremely rare Girl-on-a-Horse or Compass Marked figure of an exotic bird, c. 1755, the bird with long trailing cresting perched ona flower encrusted tree stump, the rococo scrollwork base picked out in puce, the yellow ground cartouches painted with flowers, patch marks, h. 16.5cm, losses and cracks
Estimate £600-800
Provenance:
The Dennis G. Rice Collection of fine early Derby Porcelain (1750-1770)
As well as being an avid collector of early Derby porcelain, Dr. Dennis G. Rice was an academic and wrote one of the key reference works on the subject - 'Derby Porcelain, The Golden Years 1750-1770' published in 1983. A number of the pieces illustrated in the book will be offered for sale.
Literature: cf. D.G. Rice, Derby Porcelain, pl. 42.
In his book Rice writes 'There exists a small group of figures attributable on stylistic and other grounds to a date around 1755. Their distinctive characteristics are that they are are light in weight, have a paste that is dirty and speckled, and a rough unglazed dirty surface under a base which is scrolled and rococo in form. Some of the models have a mark consisting of a circle containing a triangle but the more observant as a letter Y. All the examples so far recorded are modelled with a remarkable flair in a style not seen elsewhere in English porcelain.
...none of the models is to be found either as a a dry-edge or Duesbury figure. This complete isolation from what went before and what came after is indeed remarkable if a Derby attribution is correct. An alternative theory is that the 'Girl-on-a-horse' factory figures originated at Crisp's porcelain factory in Vauxhall.
The Vauxhall factory was run by Nicholas Crisp (about 1704-1774). He was a member of the Society of Arts, which was established in 1754 to encourage British industries faced with foreign competition. Crisp was representative of the commercially-minded entrepreneurs who founded the English porcelain industry.
This figure stylistically belongs to the so-called Girl-on-a Horse or Compass Marked factory. Like Derby and Longton Hall the composition of the porcelain body is high in glass frit. This particular model may prove that this group of figures are an early experiment at Derby under the direction of William Duesbury c.1755. The other figures in this group have unglazed bases but this example also has patch marks to the base seen on figures and wares produced at the Derby factory from 1756 onwards. The unresolved aspect of this attribution is that none of the figures were continued at Derby.
ex Winifred Williams, Nov. 1982 for £1,375.
The tree stump is lacking the candlestick? surmount and has small losses to the encrusted flowers and leaves. There is fritting to the glaze all over and a crack across the whole of the base which extends upward behind the bird.
Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to request a condition report on any lots upon which they intend to bid, prior to placing a bid. All transactions are governed by Gorringes Conditions of Sale.
Sold for £7,000