CIRCA 1741, THE HARLEQUIN AT THE BACK OF THE GROUP A LATER REPLACEMENT

The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.

Young woman:
Her right shoe appears to have been sprayed with a clear lacquer, suggesting that it is restored, and the black ribbon around her neck may also have been over-painted to disguise a break. There appears to be clear lacquer to her left forearm (adjacent to the man’s head), but it is not clear if there is a break here or not.

Old man:
The old man appears to be in good condition. There are two small areas of his neck which appear to have been sprayed with clear lacquer, although other areas are unaffected, suggesting that these slightly lacquered areas do not conceal a break, but are probably the residue from the spray over a possible break to his wife’s left forearm nearby.

Harlequin:
The standing figure is a later porcelain replacement.

Lad at the front with celery:
His left arm appears to have been restuck at the shoulder and very discreetly restored. In addition, the tips of this right fingers have been restored, and there appears to be a restored break through his right knee.


An XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) test was carried out by The Centre for Archaeological and Forensic Analysis at Cranfield University, confirming that the enamels on the three figures to the front of this group are consistent with the published data for enamels on other Meissen porcelain dating from the first half of the 18th century, and those to the Harlequin to the back of the group are consistent with enamels dating to the 19th century and later.