A Meissen monkey teapot mounted in Louis XV-style ormolu as a clock the porcelain circa 1735-40, the ormolu later

modelled by Johann Joachim Kändler, the monkey modelled seated with head turned, one young monkey on its back forming the handle and another held in its arms forming the spout, mounted in place of the cover with a clock and set on a ormolu foliate scrollwork base issuing ormolu branches set with French porcelain flowers. Lacking teapot cover, some chips and losses to flowers.

Property from the Collection of the late Baron Alphonse de Rothschild, sold, Christie's, New York, December 3, 1977, lot 328

Kändler's work records for July 1735 note: "Einen Thee Pott in Gestalt eines Affens Welcher einen Jungen auf dem rücken und einen Vornen in den Händen hält, Woraus der Thee lauffen thut, geändert und in gehörige Gestalt gebracht, sitzet auf einem kleinen postamentgen Woran er mit einer Kette under Vorlege Schloß befestiget ist" [A teapot in the form of an ape which has a baby on its back and holds another in front in its hands, from which the tea pours, altered and rendered in appropriate form, seated on a small base to which he is secured with a chain and lock]

An ormolu-mounted example, also lacking its cover and similarly colored, was in the Engelhard Collection, sold at Christie's, New York, March 18, 2005, lot 31; and another, unmounted, was sold at Sotheby's, London, April 15, 1997, lot 90.