Skip to main content

A porter: C.28-1954

Object information

Current Location: Gallery 26 (Lower Marlay)

Titles

A porter

Maker(s)

Factory: Meissen Porcelain Factory
Modeller: Kändler, Johann Joachim

Entities

Categories

Description

Hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels

Hard-paste porcelain, press-moulded, and painted overglaze in blue, green, yellow, flesh pink, mauve, red, buff, brown, and black enamels, and gilt. The unglazed underside has a small blocked ventilation hole near viewer's back left corner. The rounded square low mound base has a tree stump support in the back left corner, and is decorated on top with applied leaves, a red and white flower, and a blue flower with yellow centre. The porter steps forward onto his right foot and has his left behind him. He looks towards his right, holding out his right hand in front, and grasping the top of a walking stick in his left hand. He has red lips, and curling black hair which is shoulder length at the back, and is partially covered by a black tricorne hat with two short gold straps and a button on its left side. He wears a white shirt, a mauve coat with gold buttons, yellow breeches, white stockings and black shoes with gold buckles. Slung on his back by means of two buff straps over his shoulders, is a brown wooden rack containing a rectangular black parcel with white cords, and an oval buff-coloured box.

Notes

History note: Purchased from Heinz Horwitz, Berlin on 11 February 1933, for £25 by Cecil, 2nd Baron Fisher; Lord and Lady Fisher of Kilverstone

Legal notes

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

Measurements and weight

Depth: 9 cm
Height: 18.8 cm
Width: 8.5 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Meissen ⪼ Saxony ⪼ Germany

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

18th Century, Mid
Production date: circa AD 1747

Note

This figure was one of a series illustrating the 'Cries of Paris'. It was probably modelled by J.J. Kaendler after 'Le Crocheteur' (porter), plate 9 in the first set of 'Etudes prises dans le bas Peuple ou les Cris de Paris', engraved by the comte de Caylus (1692-1765) after drawings by Edmé Bouchardon (1689-1762), published in 1737. In the print, the porter has a short stick in his hand. An example of the print remains in the Meissen archive, VA 6544. The original drawing is in the British Museum. Meissen model no. 1030.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamel ( blue, green, yellow, flesh pink, mauve, red, buff, brown, and black) gold
Visible Surfaces composed of glaze ( clear)

Materials used in production

Hard-paste porcelain

Techniques used in production

Press-moulding : Hard-paste porcelain, press-moulded, and painted overglaze in blue, green, yellow, flesh pink, mauve, red, buff, brown, and black enamels, and gilt. The unglazed underside has a small blocked ventilation hole near viewer's back left corner

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: small crossed swords
  • Location: On lower edge of back of base
  • Method of creation: Painted underglaze in blue
  • Type: Factory mark
  • Text: F
  • Location: On base
  • Method of creation: Hand-written in black ink
  • Type: Inscription
  • Text: 15789 and below 6
  • Location: In base
  • Method of creation: Hand-written in pencil
  • Type: Number

Inscription present: circular white paper label with scalloped edge

  • Text: printed in red, the Fisher crest with below 'No.' (o raised), followed by '362' hand-written in black ink
  • Location: On base
  • Method of creation: Printed in red and hand-written in black ink
  • Type: Label

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.28-1954
Primary reference Number: 140193
Model number: 1030
Old catalogue number: 362
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 12 December 2023 Last processed: Tuesday 12 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "A porter" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/140193 Accessed: 2024-12-18 04:16:42

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/140193 |title=A porter |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-18 04:16:42|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-140193

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...