Rare paire de statuettes en porcelaine de Meissen répresentant des pèlerins, circa 1745-50

A rare pair of Meissen figures of pilgrims, circa 1745-50

Modelled by J.J. Kaendler, the gentleman holding a staff and wearing a black tricorn and purple-lined black cape with blue bows and shells, a white jacket with gilt buttons, blue belt moulded with shells and blue breeches, his companion holding a shell in her right hand, wearing a puce-lined hat, matching cape and broad crinoline dress edged with a colourful floral border, both with leaves and flowers applied to the bases, on a gilt-edged, rectangular waisted pedestal moulded with a shell at the front and foliate motifs on the corners, 28.5cm and 27cm high, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue to base of tree-stump support to gentleman (his staff replaced and left index finger restored, haircrack to lady's dress) (2)
Footnotes:
Provenance:
The Property of a Lady of Title, sold Christie's London, 30 June 1980, lot 343

Literature:
Johannes Rafael, Zur 'Taxa Kaendler', in Keramos 203/204 (2009), p. 53 (illustrated)

The figures are mentioned in Kaendler's Taxa of overtime work in November-December 1741 under nos. 87 and 88: '1. Einsiedler auf einem verzierten Postament in gehöriger Kleidung mit Muscheln verziert, vor die Aebtißn nach Herfordt [...] 1. dazu gehòrige Einsiedlering, ebenfalls mit Muscheln verziert, mit einem Huth auf dem Kopffe' [1. pilgrim on a decorated pedestal with appropriate clothing decorated with shells, for the Abbess of Herford ... 1 matching female pilgrim, also decorated with shells, with a hat on her head] (published by J. Rafael, Zur 'Taxa Kaendler', in Keramos 203/204 (2009), p. 52).

Johanna Charlotte, Princess of Anhalt-Dessau (1682-1750), Abbess of the protestant aristocratic ladies' monastery of Herford.

The figures are inspired by depictions of pilgrims by Jean-Antoine Watteau; a study in red chalk by Watteau of around 1709-12 or slightly later depicting similar figures is in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Kupferstich-Kabinett, inv. no. C 734.

Male pilgrim:
His staff is replaced. His left index finger is restored. There is a miniscule chip to the top edge on one side of the blue bow on his hat. There is some restoration to the rear corner of his tricorn hat, and spray residue over a larger area. There is some restoration to the top of his left shirt cuff. There is a small restored chip to the edge of his cape on his left side. The edge of one of the leaves applied to the front of his base is restored.

Female pilgrim:
There is a haircrack starting at the front of her dress in the centre, running down to the hem and underneath the inside, extending up the back of the dress in a short L-shape (terminating 2.5cm below her waist); at the base of the dress at the rear, it also loops under the left rear corner of the pedestal to join her base on her right side (to an associated firing crack on the base).
There is a tiny flat chip to the brim of her hat at the front, and a miniscule chip to the top edge of her blue bow on her hat.
There are three tiny spots of wear to the black enamel of her cape at the bottom edge behind her left elbow.
Her left little finger is broken off.
There is some scattered minor wear to the gilt edge of her dress, and to the gilding on the moulded corners of the pedestal.

Otherwise generally in good condition.