1 / 4
Premium MILLON
124
-
CHINA, For export, late 18th-early 19th century
Rare pair of…
See original version (French)
124
-
CHINA, For export, late 18th-early 19th century
Rare pair of…
See original version (French)
Estimate €6,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
CHINA, For export, late 18th-early 19th century
Rare pair of polychrome stucco figures
Representing a pair of mandarins known as "magots", depicted standing in animated attitudes, their arms slightly raised, giving the ensemble great vivacity. The removable heads, treated with a concern for naturalism, show individualised and expressive expressions. The female figure is dressed in a green dress with a black cloak and finely painted floral decoration. Her hair is pulled back in a plait and then pulled up into a bun. The male figure wears a long robe with a central breastplate reminiscent of the decorations on imperial longpao robes. His beard is made of natural black mane, adding to the realism of the sculpture, and his hairstyle is in the shape of a topknot, typical of Manchu dignitaries.
All painted in polychrome. The two figures stand on wooden bases.
Height (excluding base): 71.6 cm and 70.8 cm
(Damage, missing parts and restorations. Wear and alterations to the polychrome)
Provenance: Private collection of Bordeaux notables.
Produced in Canton between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, under the reigns of Emperor Jiaqing and then Emperor Daoguang, these figurines intended for Western export are emblematic of the taste for Chinese exoticism in the Europe of the Enlightenment and the beginning of the 19th century.
From the first quarter of the 18th century onwards, figures in unbaked clay were produced for foreign trade, often in the form of individualised portraits. However, the most characteristic work was produced between 1780 and 1810, generally in two formats: one around 25 to 30 cm high, and monumental models such as our present couple.
These figures often feature added elements, such as hair made from natural fibres, finely decorated silk garments or wooden accessories. Their most remarkable feature is their internal mechanism: the head is mounted on a wooden or bamboo axle, weighted at the base and balanced inside the body. This ingenious device allows the head to move back and forth at the slightest touch, giving rise to the name "nodders".
These objects were exported in large numbers to England, continental Europe and America from the 1780s. Their success was largely due to the enthusiasm for Chinese art encouraged by George IV, then Prince of Wales, whose taste for oriental decorations was fully expressed in the fittings of the Royal Pavilion. Such figures also appeared in European collections from the 1760s and 1770s, as can be seen in the famous portrait of Queen Charlotte painted by Johan Zoffany in 1764 (see illu 1).
Although these works are most often made in unfired terracotta, there are also examples in stucco, showing technical variations within this production destined for export. For a similar pair of magots, see Christie's sale of 22 June 2011 in Amsterdam lot 428 (see illu. 2).
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like