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The 'Mathei Ceres': C.3169-1928

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

The 'Mathei Ceres'

Maker(s)

Factory: Meissen Porcelain Factory

Entities

Categories

Description

Hard-paste porcelain figure after the antique marble 'Mathei Ceres'

Hard-paste biscuit porcelain, moulded. The figure stands on a square, straight-sided base, with a flange round the underside of the edge, and a large, roughly triangular ventilation hole which leads into the figure which is hollow. Ceres stands on her right leg with the left relaxed at the knee. Her right hand rests on her right hip and in her left she holds a small bunch of corn and a poppy head. She wears a long dress with a cloak, the right end of which is draped across in front of her body and falls down over her left arm.

Notes

History note: Purchased by Col. and Mrs W.D. Dickson at a sale at Godden Chetwynds at Ferndean some 10 miles from Bournemouth on 17 November 1917; given by them to Dr Glaisher on Christmas Day, 1917.

Legal notes

Dr J.W.L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 27 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Meissen ⪼ Saxony ⪼ Germany

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Dating

Marcolini period (1774-1814)
18th Century, Late
Circa 1790 CE - 1800 CE

Note

The source for this model was the antique marble, 1.065m high in the Galleria dei Candelabri in the Vatican Museums. The marble belonged to the Mattei family prior to its sale by Don Giuseppe Mattei to Pope Clement XIV in 1770. Until then it was not among the best-inown examples of classical sculpture, but thereafter gradually gained esteem, particularly for its drapery. The excellent moulding properties of Meissen biscuit porcelain enabled these to be rendered with great precision. During the Marcolini Period (1774-1814) Meissen issued large numbers of biscuit figures after antique sculpture, modelled by J.C. Scönheit, J.D. Schöne, C.J. Jüchster, and J.G. Matthai. The number H55 on this figure indicates that it was modelled between 1783 and 1787.

School or Style

Neoclassical

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Base Width 10.2 cm

Materials used in production

biscuit Hard-paste porcelain

Techniques used in production

Moulding : Hard-paste biscuit porcelain, moulded

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: crossed swords and asterisk

  • Location: On base
  • Method of creation: Painted in blue
  • Type: Factory mark
  • Text: 41
  • Location: On base by itself
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: 37
  • Location: On base to left of impressed crossed swords
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: crossed swords and asterisk
  • Location: On base
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Factory mark
  • Text: H55
  • Location: On base to right of impressed crossed swords
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Model number

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.3169-1928
Primary reference Number: 93987
Old object number: 4233
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Friday 20 August 2021 Last processed: Wednesday 13 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "The 'Mathei Ceres'" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/93987 Accessed: 2024-12-22 09:30:34

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/93987 |title=The 'Mathei Ceres' |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-22 09:30:34|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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