A MEISSEN GROUP OF PANTALONE AND COLUMBINE CIRCA 1740

Hermine Feist-Wollheim, Berlin

Hans and Ernst Feist, Berlin (sons of the above), by inheritance in 1933

Dresdner Bank, acquired, August 10, 1935

Schlossmuseum (now the Kunstgewerbemuseum), Berlin, acquired from above August 15, 1935

Auction, Julius Böhler, Munich, June 1-2, 1937, ‘Kunstwerke aus dem besitz der Staatlichen Museen Berlin’, lot 477, pl. 34 (designated Früher Sammlung Feist-Berlin)

Dr Georg Adolf Remé, Hamburg

Auction Hans W Lange, Berlin, April 7-9, 1938, ‘Antiquitäten-Sammlung Dr. R Hamburg [and others]’, lot 741, pl. 61 (designated from the collection of Dr R)

Property of European Collector, Christie's London, October 5, 1981, lot 191

Angela Gräfin von Wallwitz, Munich

von Wallwitz, 2006, pp. 48-53, cat. no. 4, pp. 44-47

Cassidy-Geiger, 2008, no. 49, p. 261, illus.

Rother, 2019, pp. 32-36

This group was based on a 1723 engraving by Christoph Weigel, 'Troupe of Italian Comedians'. The woman can be identified as an actress and is most likely an inamorata playfully flirting with the elderly Pantalone.

The group was re-modelled several times, and of the three early versions the present model is the second, as recorded by Kändler in 1738: 'Dem Pantaleon Nebst seinem bey sich habenden Frauen Zimmer Verneuert und solches Groppgen zum abformen aufs Neue tüchtig gemacht, Weiln Vorige Forme Nach öfftern gebrauch Wandelbar Worden. Darzu ist noch ein Verziertes Taberettgen worauf ein Hündgen gelegt, und neben die Figür gesetzt werden kann, gefertigt worden', [Pantaleon renewed along with his female companion and the group made ready for molding again, because the old mold became worn after frequent use. In addition, an embellished table was modelled on which lies a small dog, which can be placed next to the figure].

A third version, again due to deterioration of the old mold, was made in July 1741 as Kändler reported: 'Cropgen der Pantaleon Vorstellend nebst seinem bey sich habenden Frauen Zimmer Völlig erneuert solches aufs Sauberste auspoussiret und aufs neue brauchbar gemacht Weiln die Forme Vorhero gänzl. Ruiniret und unbrauchbar worden', [Group of Pantaleon next to his female companion completely renewed, remodeled and made useable anew, because the form was completely ruined and unusable], completed in August of the same year: 'Das neue Cropgen, den Pantaleon genannt, zerschnitten, und solches Modell zum abformen tüchtig gemacht und befördert.', [The new group, called Pantaleon, taken apart, and made the model suitable for remolding and passed on]. The differences between the three models lie essentially in the modeling of the actress: in the earliest version, she does not wear a cloak. An example of this model is in in the Pauls-Eisenbeiss Collection, Basel, illustrated in the catalogue of the collection, 1972, Vol. I, p. 34. An example of the third model is illustrated in Abraham L. den Blaauwen, Meissen porcelain in the Rijskmuseum, Amsterdam, 2000, pp. 432-434, no. 316. A close example to the present version was in the Giovanni and Gabriella Barilla Collection, sold, Sotheby's London, March 14, 2012, lot 123.