Modeled seated with his arm resting on his raised knee, his left leg tucked beneath him, with a pierced mouth and ears, his head with tufts of hair behind his ears; painted with colorful robes, his jacket with scrolling foliage and patterned cartouches, his pants with green and yellow stripes
3⁷⁄₈ in. (9.9 cm.) high

R. Berges, From Gold to Porcelain, 1963, p. 88, pl. 74 (bottom row, second from right).

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Lot Essay

These early porcelain pagoda figures were popular models produced from the earliest days of Böttger stoneware. According to Ulrich Pietsch in his book on early Meissen (below), their inspiration is believed to derive from blanc de Chine figures from Dehua representing one of the various forms of Pu-tai Ho-Shang, also known as Putai, or, the Laughing Buddha. These small figures were used as covers for incense-burners; the pierced holes in their mouths and ears allowed scented smoke to escape. For similar examples, see Ulrich Pietsch, Early Meissen Porcelain: The Wark Collection from the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, London, 2011, pp. 90-91 and Maria Santangelo, A Princely Pursuit: The Malcolm D. Gutter Collection of Early Meissen Porcelain, San Francisco, 2018, pp. 62-67.