Featured Porcelain figure of winter

I bought this figure at auction yesterday. I’ve not collected it yet so these are the auctioneers’s pics. It stands 12.5cm tall and represents winter. I am convinced that it is by a top maker but , frustratingly, the only reverse image hit that I’ve made is to a Christie’s page but Christie’s have changed the page to an unrelated lot.

The Christie’s photo shows an identical model although decorated in different colours.

It has no marks.

Any ideas? I’m thinking Russian perhaps.

 

Found it with a bit of detective work .

 

What do you think he's holding? This figure, much later, has a similar posture and is holding a pair of ice skates.

Debora

 

This is interesting: https://www.mystaffordshirefigures.com/blog/whats-in-a-name1

 

He is not holding anything. He has both hands tucked inside his shirt to keep them warm. There are a number of similar figures dating as far back as the 1700s. They almost certainly represent winter although the Andrew Dando one is definitely a chimney sweep.

 

Oh. Thank you for the clarification. I'm seeing a gray patch on top of his left arm. Must get my prescription changed.

Debora

 

Yes you are right there is something there. I will see what it is when I pick him up next week. But both hands are inside his clothing,

 

It seems to consensus that your figure is male, John.
I cannot get there...red lips, cheek coloring, facial subtleties all say female...to me, at least.

Very nice piece...wouldn't it be lovely to see all 4 seasons together?

 

It is a charming piece. Much sweeter than others I see online, including the Christie's example.

Debora

 

Well spotted. If I'd seen it on my travels I would have looked straight past it..

 

Everyone else did walk past it. I am sure that I was bidding against the wall until it reached a price that the auctioneer could accept ( £14).

 

Is there any reason to think there are figures of the other seasons?

 

Yes, they were commonly produced as sets.

Debora

 

Well, I went down a little rabbit hole on this, but have gotten out of it and now will present some findings.

From partway down the rabbit hole: Here is a Delft figure "emblematic of Winter" that says the original model is "traditionally attributed to Paul-Louis Cyfflé (1724-1806), a modeler who by 1766 was employed at the Lunéville factory in France."
https://www.aronson.com/blue-white-figure-emblematic-winter-2/

Further down the rabbit hole. Found this website called "City of Nancy: artists and Lorraine" and the following URL includes a lot of photos of figures and sculptures done by Paul-Louis Cyfflé.
https://jcb1.eu/artisteC1/artistec1.html

In the 15th photo down that page is a group of three figures. The middle one has a fairly strong resemblance to the ceramic figures we've seen in this thread.



The caption says that the title of the middle figure is "Jeune homme au chapeau" -- "Young man in hat."

Here is the entire caption under that photo.
CYFFLE Paul - Louis (1724 - 1806)
Lot composé de de trois statuettes en terre de Lorraine représentant respectivement "Le jardinier", "Jeune homme au chapeau" et "Jeune homme et son chien". Ce dernier portant la marque "CYFFLE A. LUNEVILLE" ainsi que la lettre G gravée sous la base. "Gég/50" (?) écrit à l’encre rouge sous la base du "Jeune homme au chapeau". Par Paul-Louis Cyfflé. Travail français. Epoque XVIIIème. . H.:+/-25cm, 18cm et 17,5cm.

 

Another in a long series of extraordinary research successes, Fig...Great Work!

 

Yes, the same figure attributed to Fulda in the link I gave. So, which is it?

 

It would take more research. Fulda was a manufacturer, not a person, so that would have to be sorted out as well. Looks like the one attributed to Fulda was in a sale by Woolley and Wallis in October 2010, and that is who attributed it. I just did a quick web search and found mention of a Woolley and Wallis sale on 13 October 2010 on "20th Century Design" -- it doesn't sound like the correct sale, but in a quick search I didn't see a sale on the previous day, Oct. 12, as the link suggests. I don't have time to do a rabbit hole kind of search today, unfortunately.

And I had looked at your link, but unfortunately didn't read it carefully or I would have investigated that as well. Looks like they say the date for the piece was ca. 1775. And the site I gave doesn't even attempt to attribute exact dates to Cyfflé's sculptures and figures. Just says 18th century.

So, did Fulda come out with a ceramic boy and was Cyfflé exactly copying it in his model? Or was it the other way around? Cyffle's were made in something called terre de Lorraine, which I gather was some sort of clay from the area.

It's intriguing. I don't know whether @John Brassey cares, since he didn't ask about it. I wouldn't have time to do more looking before early next week, but could then.