Sultana Asseki: C.41-1954

Titles

Sultana Asseki

Maker(s)

Factory: Meissen Porcelain Factory
Modeller: Kändler, Johann Joachim

Entities

• Figure

Categories

• Hard-paste porcelain

Description

Hard-paste porcelain painted in polychrome enamels, and gilt

Hard-paste porcelain painted in blue, green, yellow, flesh pink, dark pink, dark mauve, red, and greyish-brown enamels and gilt. The concave underside is glazed except for a flat area round the edge and has a round ventilation hole below the figure. The low rocky base rises up a little at the back to support the figure, and is strewn with applied yellowish-green leaves and a yellow, a blue and a pink flower at the front, and a small yellow and a pink at the back. The Sultana leans back slightly, standing on her right foot with her left behind her. With her right hand she toys with a tress of her long greyish-brown hair. Her left hand is extended a little way in front of her. On her head she has a closely wound white cloth which is looped up at the back. Over a white chemise she wears a long pale yellow robe decorated with sprays of dark mauve flowers and foliage, which is fastened above the waist with two gold buttons, and has a dark pink collar and flaps at the wrists. Over this she has a long blue short-sleeved coat with white fur edging and lining. Around her waist she has a wide, jewelled red belt, and on her feet, red slippers

Notes

History note: Willy Lissauer, Berlin from whom purchased on 23 March, 1935 for £55 by Cecil Vavasseur, 2nd Baron Fisher of Kilverstone; Lord and Lady Fisher

Legal notes

Given by Lord and Lady Fisher through the National Art Collections Fund

Place(s) associated

• Meissen ⪼ Saxony ⪼ Germany
• Dresden ⪼ Saxony ⪼ Germany

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1954-01-14) by Fisher, Lord and Lady

Dating

18th Century, Mid
Circa 1749 CE - 1750 CE

Note

During the 18th century Europeans were fascinated by the exotic costumes and customs of the Ottoman Empire, and their interest was stimulated by the publication of illustrated books on costume and other topics. Amongst the best known of these was the Comte de Ferriol’s 'Receuil de cent estampes representant différentes nations du Levant. . . Paris, 1714. Another edition was printed in 1715, and a smaller German edition in two volumes with some plates reversed 'Wahrest und neueste Abbildung des Türchisches Hofes' was published by Christoph Weigel at Nuremberg in 1719, and 1721 (with Der in front of title). The plates in the 'Receuil' were engraved by several artists from drawings made in 1707 and 1708 by Jean-Baptiste Vanmour (1671-1737), who was a member of de Ferriol’s entourage during the ten years from 1699 which he spent as Louis XIV’s Ambassador to the Sublime Porte. They depicted the Sultan, his Court and the various people of the Ottoman Empire who frequented Istanbul. The Sultana Asseki (the title given to the Sultan’s second wife who had borne a son) Meissen model no. 1287, corresponds to pl. 3 in Weigel, vol. I, 1719 which is in reverse to the original pl. 3 in the Receuil of 1714 or 1715.