A rare pair of ormolu-mounted Mennecy groups of child musicians circa 1760

bidding is closed

Description

heights 7 5/8 and 6 7/8 in.
19.5 and 17.5 cm

finely painted with floral costumes, the first with a girl playing a drum and a boy playing the cello, the rocky base applied with grass and flowers, the second with a girl singing from an open score on her lap and a boy playing bagpipes, on a grassy rockwork base, on later canted rectangular ormolu bases raised on melon feet with foliate terminals. Drummer girl's head restuck, some further minor restoration and chips.

Provenance

Property from the Estate of the Late Pauline Riggs Noyes, Collected by Her Father, the Late Karrick Riggs, sold, Parke Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, February 7th, 1947, lot 74

Catalogue Note

An undecorated example of the group of the drummer girl and cellist is in the Franks Collection, British Museum, published by Aileen Dawson, French Porcelain, A Catalogue of the British Museum Collection, no. 61. A painted example of the second group was in the René Fribourg Collection, sold by Sotheby's London, June 25th, 1963, lot 5 (part).