Artwork Page for Figure Seated on a Lion

Details / Information for Figure Seated on a Lion

Figure Seated on a Lion

c.1740–45
manufacturer

Chantilly Porcelain Factory

(French)
Culture
France, 18th century
Medium
Tin-glazed soft-paste porcelain with enamel decoration
Measurements
Overall: 18.3 x 30.5 x 12.1 cm (7 3/16 x 12 x 4 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
The Norweb Collection 1983.60
Public Domain
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Location
216A French and German
Print
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Did You Know?

The duke of Bourbon’s menagerie was recorded in the dedication to Jean-Antoine Fraisse’s Livre de Desseins Chinois (Book of Chinese Drawings), a book that documented the decoration on the duke’s collection of Asian porcelain, lacquer, and textiles.

Description

Exotic animals were highly coveted symbols of status and wealth. The practice of housing them in a centralized complex was popularized by French King Louis XIV’s menagerie at Versailles. This lion, along with other animal figurines produced at the factory, may have been modeled after living examples housed in the menagerie established by Louis Henri, duke of Bourbon, prince of Condé, and founder of the Chantilly porcelain factory.
A tin-glazed porcelain sculpture depicts a figure seated side-saddle on a reclining lion atop a wavy green base. The lion features brown fur textured with lines and large yellow eyes. The figure wears a green cap and a blue floral-patterned tunic over a blue skirt. They rest one hand on the lion's head while the other extends forward with the palm out. Both face toward the right.

Figure Seated on a Lion

c.1740–45

Chantilly Porcelain Factory

(French)
France, 18th century

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