Mansion House Dwarf: C.76-1933

Titles

Mansion House Dwarf

Maker(s)

Factory: Derby Porcelain Factory
Proprietor: William Duesbury & Co.
Printmaker: Callot, Jacques (After)

Entities

• Figure

Categories

• Soft-paste porcelain

Description

Soft-paste porcelain figure of a dwarf with a prominent paunch, painted in polychrome enamels

Soft-paste porcelain figure of a dwarf, slip cast, and painted overglaze in turquoise, green, yellow, flesh pink, pink, puce, red, grey, and black enamels. The unglazed underside has a large circular ventilation hold in the centre surrounded by three patch marks. The roughly circular low mound base, has a tree stump in the middle which supports the figure. The dwarf stands with his feet together slightly pigeon-toed . He has his left hand on his paunch, and in his right holds a small drumstick or rattle. He has greyish-black hair, brows, and eyes, pink cheeks andna large red mouth. He wears an enormous pale turquoise slouch hat, with a puce underside to the brim, which is turned up at the front. A red ribbon is arround the crown, and a bunch of turquoise and yellow leaves (?) is attached to the proper left side. He has a white shirt under a yellow bodice decorated with playing cards, a shovel, tongues, griddle and a mask, all black, and down the front with mulitcolour harlequin pattern, and puce buttons. Around his waist (if one can call it that) he has a green sash with puce borders on the ends. His legs are striped in yellow, puce, and turquoise, and he has black shoes. A pair with C.77-1933

Notes

History note: Unknown before donor

Legal notes

The Rev. A.V. Valentine-Richards Bequest

Place(s) associated

• Derby ⪼ Derbyshire ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933) by Valentine-Richards, A. V., The Rev

Dating

18th Century, Late
George III
Production date: circa AD 1780

Note

The design source for this dwarf was an etching by Jacques Callot ‘L’homme au gros ventre orné d’une rangée de boutons' in the series entitled 'Varie figure gobbi di Jacopo Callot', executed in Florence in 1616, and published in 1622, . See Documention, Lieure, 1927.

This model and its companion were mentioned in the Derby Sale Catalogue of 1784, and were described as ‘Pair of Grotesque Punches’ in Haslem’s Price List of Groups and Single Figures, made at Derby. See Documentation, 1876. They cost 18s.0d. enamelled and gilt.