Derby Pair of Candlestick Figures, Musicians with Bocage, C.1765

Hard-paste–type soft porcelain with polychrome enamels and original gilding.

A finely modelled pair of Derby musicians from the Patch Period, c.1765. The male figure plays the bagpipes beside a hound, while the female musician sits with a mandolin and a small lamb at her side. Their rich masquerade costumes are characteristic of the theatrical imagery noted by Bradshaw (“Derby Porcelain Figures 1750–1848”, p.85). These figures correspond to the E13 type described on pp.96–97, where the seated Mandoline and Bagpipe Players are listed among the principal Derby models of the 1760s.

Such groups, executed with the heavier Derby bocage construction of the mid-1760s and built around a substantial solid tree mass, required a vent hole to relieve internal pressure and prevent the figure from exploding during firing. The design follows models created by the Saxonian artists Johann Joachim Kändler and Peter Reinicke, whose theatrical compositions were directly adopted and reinterpreted by English workshops of the period. Remarkable preservation of the gilding on the cuffs, waistcoat and breeches. The hound’s collar retains three of the original applied spikes, a notable survival given their extreme fragility. The female musician preserves her instrument, hands and applied details with only minimal and expected leaf losses. Undersides show several small firing lines, typical for Derby’s soft-paste body of the 1760s. Each base carries the small raised supports that once held candle nozzles, now absent as commonly found in early Derby candlestick-related groups.

Dimensions:

Male figure: height 24 cm, width 18 cm, depth 12 cm, weight 934 g.

Female figure: height 24 cm, width 19.5 cm, depth 12 cm, weight 876 g.

Condition:

Male figure: superb overall preservation. Main figure perfect; minor losses to a few leaves; tiny chip to the dog’s ear; three original spikes on the collar remain. Vent hole original. Several firing lines to the base. Examined under UV light: no restorations.

Female figure: minimal leaf losses only; no damage to the figure, hands or instrument. No repairs. Examined under UV light: no restorations.

Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. It is important to note that shipping costs include labour, packaging and postage.