Neo-classical Vase In Derby Soft Paste Porcelain England, Circa 1775-1790

Tripartite vase in soft porcelain, resting on an architectural pedestal, richly decorated with applied biscuit figures. The main body, with a nuanced pink background and gold highlights, is surted with garlands held by masks and populated with round-hump putti. The lid is topped with a group of interacting putti.

The whole develops a particularly elaborate neo-classical sculptural vocabulary: winged sphinxes, sea creatures, putti and masks, treated in white biscuit contrasting with the enameled surface.

The model, directly inspired by an engraving by sculptor Jacques Saly (1717–1776), is part of the formal research conducted by the Derby factory in the 1770s–1780s.

Documented model in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Marked hollow: N 19

Height: 41 cm Width: 21.5 cm (base)

Comment

Derby's production in the last third of the 18th century testifies to a growing ambition to compete with the great continental factories by integrating a complex sculptural vocabulary.

Remarks

• Museum model identified • Direct link with Jacques Saly • Hybrid object between sculpture and porcelain • Technical complexity and limited diffusion

See :

http://m.vam.ac.uk/collections/item/O8091/vase-stand-and-saly-jacques-francois/