A MEISSEN PORCELAIN FIGURE OF A BITTERN MID-18TH CENTURY

modelled by Johann Joachim Kändler, standing amidst reeds supported on a grassy mound base, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue to the back of the base.

Christie's London, Property of Sydney J. Lamon Collection, November 29, 1973, lot 28 (one of a pair), illustrated
Christie's Geneva, May 11, 1987, lot 197, illustrated

Generally in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1734, Kändler created a figure of a bittern for the Japanese Palace. The present model, which is smaller and has considerable variations in the appearance of the birds and the reeds on the base, has been given a modeling date of circa 1753 by Carl Albiker in Die Meissner Porzellantiere, (1959), p. 15 and plate 90, based on its factory shape 2015. A similar pair is illustrated and discussed in Abraham L. den Blauween, Meissen Porcelain in the Rijksmuseum, p. 414, no. 302, noting that the use of model numbers for dating is "highly unreliable." A pair of bitterns similar to the present example is also illustrated in Rijksmuseum, A Royal Menagerie, Meissen Porcelain Animals, p. 47, fig. 36 and in Gerhard Röbbig, Kabinettstücke, Die Meissener Porzellanvögel von Johann Joachim Kändler, p. 160-161, cat. no. 34.

A pair of similar bitterns, Property from the Estate of Laurence S. Rockefeller, sold in these rooms, October 11, 2005; and another pair, Property of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, sold at Sotheby's, Monaco, May 26, 1980, lot 432.