A Berlin Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Porcelain Plate with a Singerie Scene of a Cat and Monkeys in a Barber's Shop German, circa 1830 impressed 25, hand-painted scepter mark in underglaze-blue, printed eagle and KPM mark and painter's mark in red (on the underside) diameter 9 1/2 in. (24.13 cm.) Footnotes: Provenance The Count Alarico Palmieri Collection; Christie's, London, The Count Alarico Palmieri Collection of Dogs and Cats in Art, 28 March 1996, Lot 28; Acquired by the current owner from the above. The visual art form known as singerie (from the French singe, meaning 'monkey') emerged in 17th-century Flemish genre painting as a playful vehicle for satirizing human behavior. By depicting monkeys dressed as people and engaged in everyday occupations and social rituals, artists invited viewers to laugh at human vanity, pretension, and folly. The genre reached the height of its popularity in 18th-century France, where its whimsical imagery appeared in paintings, textiles, porcelain, marquetry, and other decorative arts. One of the most enduring singerie motifs is the cat as customer in a monkey barber's shop, a composition perhaps best known through Abraham Teniers' painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. The humor would have resonated even more strongly with contemporary audiences, for whom the barber's shop represented more than a place for haircuts and shaves. Before medicine became highly specialized in Europe, barbers commonly practiced surgery as well, and the profession was known as the barber-surgeon. The monkey barber, therefore, parodies not only a familiar tradesman but also a respected medical practitioner, lending an additional layer of wit to the scene. The present KPM porcelain plate continues this tradition, combining fantasy with gentle social satire. Cats, renowned for their meticulous self-grooming, become unlikely patrons, while the monkey-an animal long associated with imitation and mischief assumes the role of the barber, heightening the scene's comic absurdity. Condition reports are not provided in catalog descriptions. The absence of a condition report does not guarantee that the lot is in good condition or free from damage and wear. We encourage you to request a condition report and/or additional photos prior to bidding on any lot. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing