A Meissen two-handled beaker, circa 1722

painted  with Harlequin, the reverse possibly with Scaramouche with grapes and tobacco pipes in his hat and a large copperedjug hung from his waist, a tall glass in his outstretched hand, within Böttger lustre and iron-red cartouches (haircrack)

Lempertz Kunsthaus, Cologne, May 1997

haircrack to rim (1.5cm long)
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Commedia dell'arte was a form of improvised theatre, characterised by a cavalcade of masked types which were
developed in Italy by the middle of the sixteenth century. It was performed by companies throughout Europe, on outdoor,
temporary stages. The rival theatrical tradition was the commedia erudita (learned comedy) which was written by academics
and played by gentleman amateurs. By contrast, the Commedia dell'Arte scenes were performed by professional actors, hence
the word "arte", which testifies to their professional craft. The conventional plot lines were the age-old themes of adultery,
jealousy, old age and love, for which each actor in the company took on a role as a specific character, quickly identified by
accent, individual costume, mask and perhaps accessories. Roles and parts changed, however, depending on the scenario -
which itself was constantly interrupted by improvised performances (lazzi) in the form of bursts of fear, happiness or sadness,
slapstick humour and sexual innuendo.
For two hundred years until the early 19th century, this "adaptable, unpredictable form of theatre gripped the public
imagination and retained its popularity", in town squares as well as festivals within palaces. Many books about the Commedia
dell'Arte were published, together with engravings, such as the influential Luigi Riccoboni's Histoire du Théâtre Italien, with
engravings by Francois Joullain, published in Paris in 1728. Well-established Commedia troupes were invited to courts, while
the Hotel de Bourgogne was established as a permanent home for Italian comedians in Paris (1680-1697 and then from 1716
onwards), while a French comedic troupe is recorded performing in Dresden as early as 1618.
Augustus the Strong and his son Augustus III also liked to disguise themselves and their court as masked characters, essentially
during the Bauernwirtschaft, a traditional court festivity where rustic fairs took place in the court gardens, and Carnival. The
most celebrated occasion is on Mardi Gras February 1722, when an extraordinary parade entitled Caroussel Comique was
organised, being composed of eight quadrilles of gentlemen and ladies of the court, each costumed as a character from the
Commedia.
Augustus The Strong still favored Chinoiseries in his porcelain, but Johann Freidrich Böttger took some personal interest and
inspiration from the new fashion. Between 1710 and 1712, six Böttger red stoneware figures were modelled, after the engravings
of Robert Boissart entitled Mascarades, published in 1597 (see M. Chilton, fig. 272 and 273). The success of the 1722 Comique
Carroussel also influenced Johann Gregor Höroldt, who expressed a wish "to have designs of the costumes of the latest
carnival groups so he can paint them on services". For the first time ever, he painted Commedia images on porcelain and on
August 1722, delivered "three extraordinary services" (M Chilton, p. 172); see lots 111-116. In 1725, Meissen made the earliest
porcelain sculpture inspired by the Commedia, in the form of the Italian Capitain, (M. Chilton fig. 288).
By the time of the accession of Augustus III in 1733, the imagery of the comedy had become increasingly familiar to a broad
audience, while Count von Brühl (1700-1763), the new Director of Meissen from 1733 onwards, famous for his lavish
entertainments and dinners, established the fashion of using porcelain sculpture on the dining table which gradually took the
place of decorative sculpture made of sugar wax. Johann Gottlieb Kirchner was the first professional sculptor at Meissen and
modelled a very few Commedia figures (see lot 147). But it is really the sculptor Johann Joachim Kändler who developed fully
the concept of small-scale sculpture in European porcelain. The first of Kändler's Harlequins is mentioned in his Taxa in July
1736 (see lot 124), and inaugurated eight years (1736-1744) of individual Harlequin figures and groups considered among the
best of his creations (see lot 119-125). The latter took inspiration from various engravings of the period, but also recalled actual
comic moments of contemporary performances, hence the celebrated "immediacy of live theatre" of his figures. A little later, in
1743, Peter Reinicke, under Kändler's supervision, created the famous Duke of Weissenfels' series, which also had a tremendous
success (see lots 126 to lots 140) .
In these ten years, the earliest European porcelain factory initiated the long tradition of Commedia dell'arte porcelain figures,
and trained modellers who then worked for other new porcelain factories in Germany, such as J.L von Lücke. They also had an
essential influence on Austrian, Italian and English porcelain factories established later in the 18th century, which have attracted
many collectors throughout the centuries, in this generation none more notably than Mrs Gabriella Barilla.

BILBIOGRAPHY
Meredith Chilton, Harlequin Unmasked, Toronto , 2001
R. Jansen (ed.), Commedia Dell'Arte: Fest der Komýdianten, Stuttgart, 200