Old Paris Parian Figure of La Dormeuse After Michel Victor Acier, C.1850-1880

A rare and highly collectible antique 19th-century French Parian ware figurative sculpture titled La Dormeuse (The Sleeping Girl / Sleeping Louise). The piece is a fine nineteenth-century interpretation of the celebrated model by the French sculptor Michel Victor Acier (1736-1799). The sculpture is executed in fine, unglazed matte white Parian porcelain, closely imitating the soft texture of carved white marble.

The composition depicts a sleeping lady seated in an armchair with a miniature love letter tucked into her bodice, while one of her original porcelain slippers rests on the paved cobblestone-moulded base below. The figure is finely modelled throughout, with carefully executed drapery folds, a fully detailed chair with turned supports and shaped splats, and a separate side table incorporating X-shaped stretchers.

During the nineteenth century, Old Paris porcelain workshops produced numerous interpretations of celebrated eighteenth-century sculptural models by leading European artists. Independent Parisian manufactories became renowned for adapting these popular compositions for commercial production while maintaining a remarkably high standard of modelling and porcelain quality. Today, Old Paris porcelain is recognised for its accomplished craftsmanship and faithful interpretation of celebrated historical designs.

Parian porcelain was developed during the nineteenth century as an unglazed porcelain body intended to imitate carved white marble. Its matte surface made it particularly suitable for sculptural figures inspired by Classical, Rococo and Neoclassical models.

The flat underside retains three original kiln slits characteristic of nineteenth-century Parian production. The base is completely unmarked, entirely consistent with the long-established practice of many Old Paris porcelain workshops, which did not apply factory marks to their porcelain figures.

Dimensions: Weight: 1156 g; Height: 20 cm; Width: 13.1 cm; Depth: 15.6 cm.

Condition: Missing tips of the thumb and index finger on the right hand. Missing one of the two original porcelain slippers on the cobblestone base. Loss to the upper finial on the right-hand chair post. Otherwise in excellent antique condition.