Statuette en porcelaine de Meissen représentant Arlequin effrayé, milieu du XVIIIe siècle

A Meissen figure of the frightened Harlequin, mid 18th century

Modelled by J.J. Kaendler, wearing a white hat with red rosette, ruff collar, tunic with purple-edged panels of white, green and yellow, and lavender and yellow trousers, red rosettes on the white shoes, the base applied with leaves and flowers, 16.7cm high (figure restuck to tree-stump support, some restoration and retouching of enamels)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Anon. sale, Christie's Geneva, 30 April 1975, lot 141

Another example of this figure is in the Pauls Collection, Basel (published by Menzhausen/Karpinski 1993, p.279. Another example most recently in the Barilla Collection was sold at Sotheby's in London, 14 March 2012, lot 119. Other examples are scattered in museums around the world, one example is in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York (1982.60.308), and a complete listing of the other models can be found in Sarah-Katharina Andres-Acevedo, Die autonomen figürlichen Plastiken Johann Joachim Kaendlers und seiner Werkstatt zwischen 1731-1748, Vol II, p. 147, no 401.

For a further discussion on the ten large Meissen harlequin figures modelled by Johann Joachim Kaendler see: Meredith Chilton, Harlequin Unmasked, the Commedia dell'Arte and Porcelain Sculpture, p. 296ff. Here the author notes that Kaendler modelled ten large harlequins between 1738-41. Although they were never listed together by Kaendler in his records, and may not have been conceived as a series, their commonality of subject size, and strenght of expression have led them to be grouped together Some of the Harlequins in this informal group are listed in Kaendler's Taxa of models made between 1740 and 1748, with the last reference in the list of figures made before 1746. Others appear in his Arbeitsberichte (monthly work notes)

There is a small area of white overpainting to the left of the rosette on his hat.
There is extensive retouching to flaking green enamel along his right sleeve, the entire length of which is covered in spray (also some residue to his neck and face on his right side). It is not apparent that the arm was cleanly restuck, but it is possible. There is also retouching to flaking of the green enamel on the patch of his tunic on his right side; this is also covered with spray,
His slapstick is restored (covered in discoloured old overpainting) and the tip of the handle is chipped.
There is some (discoloured) overpainting to the top half of his right leg, and spray residue around his middle and to the upper part of the legs. It seems most likely that the figure was broken off where he joins the tree-stump support: the break seems to go through the top of his right thigh, but not through the left, so the break was likely through the very top of the tree-stump support (there is some discoloured old overpainting all around the top of the tree-stump). There is some spray residue to his trouser legs and shoes, but no further damage is apparent.
There are some typical minor chips to the applied leaves and flowers on the base.
Otherwise generally in good condition.
(please note that the restoration is old and the overpaintinng is discoloured in places).