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Africa from a set of Continents: C.91-1932

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An image of Figure
Current Location: In storage

Titles

Africa from a set of Continents

Maker(s)

Factory: Derby Porcelain Factory

Entities

Categories

Description

Soft-paste porcelain figure of Africa, painted in polychrome enamels.

Legal notes

Given by Mrs W.D. Dickson

Measurements and weight

Height: 10 in
Width: 7 3/4 in

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1932) by Dickson, W. D. (Frances Louisa), Mrs

Dating

18th Century, second half
George III
Production date: circa AD 1765

Note

The figure of Africa derives ultimately from the representation in Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia, 1593, the first illustrated edition of which was published in Rome in 1603. It shows Africa as a woman with an elephant headdress, holding a lobster in her right hand and a cornucopia in her left, and having a lion behind her. The porcelain model also resembles the marble statue without a cornucopia or lobster in the garden at Versailles, begun by Sibrayque and completed by Jean Cornu (1650-1710) in 1682. This was illustrated by an engraving in Simon Thomassin's, Recueil des figures, groups, thermes, fontaines, vases, statues, et autres ornemens de Versaille, Paris, 1694, pl. 104 and Amsterdam, 1695.. The Derby Continents may have been inspired by one of several Meissen sets of seated or standing figures modelled c. 1745-50, by J.J. Kaendler, P. Reinicke, and F.E. Meyer, but their immediate prototype appears to have been a set of Chelsea Continents of c. 1758-9.

School or Style

Rococo

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamels ( polychrome)

Materials used in production

presumed lead Lead-glaze
Soft-paste porcelain

Techniques used in production

Glazing (coating) : Soft-paste porcelain figure of Africa, paibted in polychrome enamels.

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.91-1932
Primary reference Number: 43503

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 14 January 2025

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 (2025) "Africa from a set of Continents" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/43503 Accessed: 2025-12-07 03:36:39

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/43503 |title=Africa from a set of Continents |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 03:36:39|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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