A very rare early Meissen figure of a parrot circa 1725-30

probably modelled by G. Fritzsche, perched on the end of an oblong rockwork base, its breast washed in green with stripes in gilding, the blue and green plumage picked out in black enamel and edged in gilding, the base streaked in black, brown and ochre on a pale brown ground, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue (some restoration)

Ole Olsen Collection, Copenhagen
Christie's London, 13th March 1989, lot 98

Ole Olsen's Collections. Reproductions of a selection of objects of art and paintings from the collections in Stengaarden at Hellerup, Copenhagen, 1933, p. 76

repairs to beak, tail feathers and through claws
"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."

Although this rare model more closely resembles a Japanese Arita hawk than a parrot, it is almost always referred to as a 'Papagei' in the available literature, including the Catalogueof the sale of Porcelain and Weapons from the Saxon Royal collections at Rudolph Lepke, Berlin, October 1919, in which a pair of these birds was offered as lots 110 and 111.

For a pair of parrots of this model in the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, see the cover illustration and the article 'The Mastery of Meissen' by C. C. Dauterman in Apollo, August 1973. Both figures of that pair bear the repairer's mark of Andreas Schiefer, who worked with Fritzsche and was himself highly regarded by Kändler, see Rückert (1990), p. 126. One also bears a painted inventory number which the author relates to the Japanese Palace. The pair is decorated in pastel colours, as is a single example sold at Christie's London, 18th December 2006, lot 50.

An ormolu-mounted pair of these figures, from the Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, Erich von Goldschmidt-Rothschild (his sale, Hermann Ball and Paul Graupe, Berlin, 24th March 1931, lot 198), Alfred de Rothschild and Lionel de Rothschild (his sale, Christie's, 4th July 1946, lot 98) collections, was in the Untermyer Collection, see Hackenbroch (1956), fig. 11; one of this pair is also illustrated by Albiker (1935), no. 245.

Another pair, also mounted in ormolu and similarly decorated, was in the collections of Baron Ferdinand von Rothschild, Baronin Mathilde von Rothschild, Baronin Phillip von Schey and in the von Pannwitz collection, and was sold at Sotheby's New York, 10th October 1985, lot 237.

The figure appears to be part of a small group of early attempts at figure modelling, presumably under the direction of Georg Fritzsche, before the appointment of Kirchner and the first attempts at modelling figures for the Japanese Palace. Most of these figures are very much influenced by Japanese or Chinese originals. These include the group of a Chinaman with a large bird, Albiker (1935), no. 243, and various Guanyin and buddha figures moulded directly from the oriental originals.

It is also interesting to make comparisons with a pair of miniature parrots (from the Goldschmidt-Rothschild, Kramarski and Kler collections), sold at Christie's 7th July 2003, lot 85. These are also very early in date, and again stiffly modelled after Oriental (in this case Chinese) originals, perhaps also by Fritzsche.