Three Meissen porcelain miniature figures of owls, circa 1745-50

The two smaller examples:

Christie's, London, 29 November 1976, lot 213;

The Collection of Sir Gawaine & Lady Baillie, sold, Sotheby’s, London, 1 May 2013, lot 31.

The larger example:

Christie's, Amsterdam, 3 December 1991, lot 189;

The Collection of Sir Gawaine & Lady Baillie, sold, Sotheby’s, London, 1 May 2013, lot 32.

These small models of owls belong to the tradition of smaller-scale porcelain sculptures created to function sometimes as interior decoration, as part of the furnishings of the palaces of kings and courtiers, but more often as table decorations. During the reign of Augustus III (1733-1763), porcelain was to gradually replace silver and sugar sculpture on the dessert table and from 1735, the factory began to produce a wide range of smaller scale figures which were included in the ministerial services ordered by Count Sulkowski and his successor Count Brühl. The Hof-Conditorei (court pantry) was the department responsible for producing the edible and decorative elements of the dessert course at the king’s table. The first porcelain figures commissioned for the royal table were decorations for the three royal marriages of 1747; they appear in the Arbeitsberichte (work reports) in 1746 and were delivered to the court pantry between 1746 and 1748. They were also recorded in palace inventories conducted at different points in time, giving us an insight into the broad range and quantity of table sculptures held in the Hof-Conditorei across two decades. Apart from figural sculptures, production included birds, game and domestic animals as well as exotic species, including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses, together with small vases, pedestals and temple elements. When arranged as part of the surtout de table these would have provided a dazzling display at the finale of the meal.

For a detailed discussion of Meissen’s extensive production of smaller scale animals and birds see Maureen Cassidy-Geiger’s introductory essay to the Sotheby’s London sale of the Sir Gawaine and Lady Baillie Collection (1 May 2013): ‘‘An Jagd-Stücken, unterschiedenen Thieren, Feder Viehe, Hunden und Katzen’: A Context for the Meissen Porcelain Animals and Birds in the Sir Gawaine and Lady Baillie Collection’.

Few private collections can rival the distinction, scale, and historic importance of the Baillie Collection of 18th-century Meissen porcelain birds and animals. Assembled over two generations with discerning vision and unwavering passion, it stands among the most celebrated collections of its kind ever to come to market. The story of the collection began in the 1930s, when Lady Baillie—heiress to the illustrious American Whitney family—began acquiring Meissen birds for Leeds Castle, the medieval residence she had magnificently restored. There, amid one of England’s most storied settings, the collection took shape as a reflection of both refined taste and scholarly intent. Her son, Gawaine, raised in the presence of these masterworks, inherited not only the collection but also his mother’s connoisseurship. Together with his wife Margot, he expanded it with remarkable acuity, transforming it into a collection of exceptional breadth, comprising more than 140 models.