Modelled with pierced mouth and ears to act as incense burners, one with incised decoration to the edge of his cloak.
Porzellansammlung, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Inventory nos. PE 2186 & PO 4456
There are essentially two models of these so-called ‘Pagoda’ figures, with numerous variations, this being the smaller. A unique example of this figure, in the Royal Porcelain Collection in Dresden, is set within a canopied bed and copied from a Chinese famille-verte model of the Kangxi period (1662-1722). However, the actual figure is taken from a Chinese blanc de chine, Dehua, model of the 17th century.[i]
A Chinese blanc de chine, Dehua, figure of Budai, 17th century, Private collection
The faces are enamelled with a thin wash of iron-red, red lips and black hair markings, and the necks with green dots. A very feint pink wash has been applied to the bellies of both figures, perhaps an undeveloped Böttger lustre. This fired decoration would have been added in Dresden and probably in the workshop of Johann Georg Funcke.
The Dresden master goldsmith Georg Funcke, who was already named among the artists at the factory as an enameller at the end of 1710, took over the firing of coloured decoration as a subcontractor for the manufactory from 1713 onwards. His contract was renewed after Böttger’s death on 17 June 1719. Although Funcke was the most important decorator, other Dresden hausmaler also worked for Meissen, including “die Richardi aus Alt Dreßden” and “der Türckische Span”, as well as Gäbel, Weber, D.C.Meerheim, Hunger and Lauche.[ii] The faint traces of pink lustre suggest perhaps suggest Funke, as does the use of the dry green enamel.
Condition:
One with a small a hole above the right eye
Provenance:
Private collection Italy
References:
Rückert 1990
Rainer Rückert, Biographische Daten der Meissener Manufakturisten des 18. Jahrhunderts, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, 1990
Weber 2024
Julia Weber, ‘Auf Indianische Arth’: Figural Representations of Asians and Ottomans in Meissen Porcelain’, in The Magnificence of Rococo. Kaendler’s Meissen Porcelain Figures, edited by Alfredo Reyes and Claudia Bodinek, pp. 76–107, (Stuttgart: Arnoldsche Art Publishers, 2024)
For the Meissen, Böttger porcelain example of the figure in a canopied bed see:
https://skd-online-collection.skd.museum/Details/Index/126036
for the Chinese famille-verte version see:
https://royalporcelaincollection.skd.museum/catalogue/1/object/2123?object=212300000121235&type=2
SOLD
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[i] Weber 2024 for an example of our model from the Porzellansammlung, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, fig. 41 p.82 PE 2184.
[ii] Rückert 1990, p.134.