A Meissen figure of "Harlequin Ancien" from the Weissenfels series, modelled by Peter Reinicke, circa 1744

the lean moustachioed figure wearing a yellow brimmed hat and with his thumbs tucked into his belt, with typical multicoloured ribbon-tied jacket

slapstick missing
"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."

This was modelled after Joullain's engraving Habit d'Arlequin Ancien, in turn derived from a portrait of Tristano Martinelli in Compositions de Rhétorique, published in Lyon in 1601, according to Meredith Chilton (op. cit., pp. 310). For a similar model see R. Jansen, op. cit., fig. 30.

Lots 126-140

The largest and most inflluential group of Commedia Dell'Arte figures in porcelain is the series commissioned by Johann Adolf II, Duke of Sachsen-Weissenfels (1685-1746), probably for the occasion of his second marriage to Friedericke von Sachsen-Gotha (1715- 1775) in 1743. The Duke of Weissenfels was very fond of the Italian Comedy and participated himself in the Comique Caroussel in 1722, where he led the Harlequin quadrille, and in 1729 at the festive Bauernwirtschft where he played the part of Scaramouche. It is known that Peter Reinicke (1715-1765) modelled eighteen figures for this series, fourteen of them documented between March and September 1744, a later one recorded in October 1747 (lot 138) and at least nine corrected by Kändler between March and August. For at least ten of them, Reinicke took inspiration directly from François Joullain's engravings for Luigi Riccoboni's Histoire du Theatre Italien, published in Paris in 1728. As male Commedia dell'Arte roles outnumbered those played by female, only a few female figures were created, and only two can be associated with certainty to the series,
one being offered here (lot 138).

These small-scale figures were clearly intended to be displayed as part of a dessert sugar centrepiece, as was the fashion at the time. Light-hearted and very charming, each figure depicts a character of the Commedia dell'Arte in his symbolic pose or gesture, in contrast
to the earlier B aroque Meissen figures which depicted crucial moments of action during the play. The delightful Weissenfels series were extremely popular and extensively copied by other porcelain factories of the time. Mrs Gabriella Barilla managed to collect fifteen figures out of the eighteen, which makes it perhaps the most complete private collection known.