What you see here is a superbly rare porcelain figure group made in Meissen by the best figure modeller of all time, Johann Joachim Kändler. It concerns the so-called “Lady and Gallant” polychrome figure group in which a seated girl plays the mandolin and is courted by a gallant man who offers her flowers that he holds in both hands. At the back is a tree with green leaves against which flowers grow in relief, at the front is a sheep. Both figures are placed on an oval, slightly raised base with green leaves and some flowers in relief. The girl is wearing a fairly deep-cut dress painted with a floral scene and holding a brown-colored mandolin in both hands. The man has a white jacket trimmed with gold and wears pink shorts and yellow shoes. Note the very detailed hair of both figures. A lot of space has been left for the milky white glaze which gives a fresh aspect to the statue. The base is not glazed at the bottom, it is a bit dirty gray with some small clay remains, typical of early Meissen figures. The statue is not marked at the bottom of the base, but it is marked in the center of the foot rim at the back with a small underglaze blue mark of the crossed swords of Meissen from around 1740! Some minor flaws such as some flower petals, the flowers in the hands of the galant, part of the little girl’s little finger, but expected and normal for such fragile work that is now almost three hundred years old! Overall in very good condition. Attached is a photo of this figure group in the book “18th Century German Porcelain” by George Savage 1958 and dated ca. 1740. Great work!

Condition: some minor defects, overall very good status.