1950s quality porcelain figurines Marie-Antoinette era Japan made Meissen style

Description: This pair of “Made in Japan” figurines is rare and remarkable for at least three reasons: its size (each figure stands 10” ½ tall), its level of quality and its unusual subject. A little bit of context:Started right after World War II and prolonged into the early 1960s, Japanese porcelain figurines are well-known and popular collectibles, marked “Made in occupied Japan” until 1952, and simply “made in Japan” afterwards.Though this Japanese production is diverse in inspiration, it tends to focus on the depiction of European courtiers from the 1700s (typically advertised on eBay or Etsy as “colonial figurines” or, even worse, “Victorian figurines”...), very much in the style of renowned Meissen porcelain figurines. A German porcelain manufacturer founded in the early 1700s, Meissen was the first European company to master the technique of porcelain making, until then a monopoly of China and Japan. Meissen is still active to this day. From the get-go, their production was synonymous with excellence, which was reflected in its tableware as well as in its figurines. What characterizes a Meissen figurine is the complexity and elegance of the figure’s pose and design, its level of detail and realism (for example, one can often discern the iris and the pupil in the figure’s eyes, fabric patterns are rendered in a very accurate manner, etc), and the diversity of its colors and glazes. Examples of Meissen figurines: Meissen figure of a flute player at the Smithsonian: https://www.si.edu/es/object/nmah_1419868 Young courtier with hunting dogs for sale on Pamono: https://www.pamono.com/young-courtier-with-hunting-dogs Young courtier on 1stdibs: https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/decorative-objects/sculptures/figurative-sculptures/meissen-porcelain-figure-gentleman-circa-1745/id-f_20802232/?utm_content=condensed&allowUniversalLink=no&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP6sBhDAARIsAPfK_wYptKV5wYDMOTELHxTmooDxhjcvXNpQnCc8WKSE8T6pLf-7NU3ZR80aAh-hEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds These high-quality figurines have been produced from the inception of Meissen porcelain to this day. Expensive at the time they were made (and even more so today!), they were unaffordable for the common man, which gave mass-market ceramic makers the idea of developing cheap alternatives. That is basically what the British “Staffordshire” figurines were during the Victorian era, and what the “Made in Japan” figurines were for the mid-20th century. And just like the Staffordshire figurines, the Japanese figurines are, most of the time, stiff and clumsy, their design oversimplified, and painting hastily executed to meet mass-production rates, resulting in faces where mouth and/or eyes are not always located where they should be! Here, with this charming couple, we see none of these usual deficiencies. The design, painting and glaze are definitely high quality. It’s particularly visible with the treatment of faces, which is superb: subtle complexion nuances, very precise and skilful painting of mouth, eyes and eyebrows (one can distinguish the blue irises from the black pupil) and beautiful high-gloss glaze make for a result that is very satisfying, even in the least forgiving up-close pictures. It’s not Meissen quality yet, but we are getting very close! Poses are interesting and natural, colors are vivid and come in a wide variety. Most of all, the design of these figures’ costumes is remarkable: the massive use of stripes on both male and female figures’ outfits hints at a particular period and place in fashion history, even at a specific political orientation! As a matter of fact, stripes are a key feature in the way French revolutionaries, broadly called the “sans-culotte” (literally “without breeches”, as lower class men around 1790 were starting to wear trousers, instead of traditional / aristocratic breeches). Example of a couple of sans-culotte (from a print from that era): https://www.philippe-le-bas.org/2022/04/07/quest-ce-quun-sans-culotte/ Based on that period illustration, our porcelain lady here appears to wear a text-book “sans-culotte” costume, with a very simple, close-bodied dress (interestingly called then “Robe à l’Anglaise” (“English-style dress”): no more hoop or panniers, making for a much more natural silhouette), with the gown hitched-up very high, revealing the contrasting striped petticoat that matches her bodice. Ironically, all these fashion trends were launched by Marie-Antoinette herself, including the stripes, which she helped popularize right before the Revolution. During the Revolution, stripes became a staple of the revolutionary dress-code. Here, on the female figure, the political connotation of these stripes is made even stronger by the color palette, blue, white, and red, which obviously echoes the “bleu blanc rouge” of the new anti-monarchic, republican French flag.As to the man, with his breeches and classically cut jacket, he still retains elements of aristocratic fashion, but again the quite conspicuous stripes on both his breeches and his shirt, quite unthinkable for a gentleman before the Revolution, clearly place him on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Well, who would have suspected there might be so much to say about a pair of Made in Japan figurines? :-D Clearly these stand out from the average, and offer a level of quality in both design and execution that makes them as interesting as Meissen figurines—for a fraction of the price! Excellent vintage condition (no chip or scratch). Dimensions: 10” ½ tall {{{ Please make sure you read the following carefully: INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: shipping costs mentioned for this item are valid for DOMESTIC SHIPPING ONLY (from Boston, Massachusetts, to anywhere else in the United States).If you are located outside of the United States (even in Canada), please message me to discuss shipping details PRIOR TO MAKING YOUR PURCHASE.}}}

Price: 127 USD

Location: Somerville, Massachusetts

End Time: 2024-03-11T21:34:53.000Z

Shipping Cost: 20 USD