Pair Of Porcelain Busts Of Bourbon Children, Meissen, Louis XV Style, After J. J. Kändler

Provenance
A pair of Meissen porcelain busts depicting the Bourbon children, traditionally identified as Princess Marie-Zéphyrine de Bourbon and her brother, Louis-Joseph-Xavier de France, Duke of Burgundy. The model is part of the tradition of princely portraits produced in Meissen based on the work of Johann Joachim Kändler, one of the manufactory’s most important modelers in the 18th century. These busts reflect the courtly taste of the 18th century, when portraits of aristocratic children were executed with particular attention to expression, costume, and decorative refinement.

Description
The two busts form a pair of pendants depicting two young children of the House of Bourbon. The first bust depicts a young princess wearing a white bonnet tied with a bow, delicately decorated with small floral motifs. The face, with full cheeks and a slightly turned gaze, is modeled with softness and restraint. The garment combines a polychrome bodice, a dark panel accented with gold fillets, a pink drape with floral decoration, and a small flower applied to the chest. The second bust depicts a young prince wearing a yellow headdress richly adorned with polychrome flowers, gold accents, and a blue ribbon. His attire features a brown geometric pattern, a white ruffled collar, a purplish-pink scarf, and a bouquet of flowers applied in relief. The rocaille bases, highlighted with gold, clearly place the ensemble within the Louis XV decorative vocabulary.

Technique and materials
Meissen hard-paste porcelain, hand-painted polychrome decoration, gilded highlights, glossy glaze, and floral elements applied in relief. The busts are marked beneath the base with the crossed swords of Meissen and bear the model number 2744. The quality of the modeling, the delicacy of the skin tones, and the precision of the painted decoration are characteristic of the manufactory’s meticulous production.

Dating
Model created in the 18th century, after Johann Joachim Kändler. The examples presented here are reproductions by the Meissen manufactory, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century, based on the model number, the mark beneath the base, and the decorative execution.

Condition
Very good condition. The polychromy, gilded highlights, and applied details are well preserved. Slight normal signs of age and use on the bases.

Use and purpose
A collector’s pair intended for display in a showcase, on a console table, or in a porcelain cabinet. These busts fit particularly well in a classic interior, a Meissen collection, or an 18th-century-inspired decorative ensemble.

Dimensions
height – 24 cm