Le Carnaval. A rare set of five Meissen Figures from the Ballet Russe, Meissen, Germany, 1914-1923

modelled by Professor Paul Scheurich, comprising  Pierrot, incised model number D283, impresssed 136, painter's number 12, Estrella incised model number D285, impressed 107, painter's number 12, Harlequin and Colombine, incised model number D.287, impressed 21, painter's number 12, Eusebius, incised model number D284, impressed 107, painter's number 12, and Chiarina, incised model number D286, impressed 16, painter's number 12,
all with crossed swords in underglaze-blue

The ballet Le Carnaval , after Rober Schumann's piano music of the same name, was performed by Diaghilev's Ballet Russes in Berlin in 1910 and 1912. Leon Bakst had originally created the set and costumes for a charity ball in St. Petersburg in 1909 and Le Carnaval reflects the more romantic side of his nature. The international success of Le Carnaval  must be chiefly credited to the outstanding performance of Nijinsky as Harlequin and Karsavina's winning charm as Colombine.
The Meissen figures were modelled by Paul Scheurich, probably in November or December 1912 and they were purchased by the newly appointed commercial director of the Meissen manufactory, Max Adolf Pfeiffer, in 1913. These figures of dancers were the first of Scheurich's many models for Meissen and they met with immediate and considerable success.