Antique Tinted Parian Figure Neo Classical Maiden English Circa 1872 AF

We are in complete awe of the talent needed to be able to produce such a highly detailed little figure in Parian porcelain. It is the strategically draped diaphanous fabric that takes our breath away. Along with her beautifully detailed, very elegant feet, toes and fingers! She has tiny, raised dot decoration to the draped fabric and faint traces of original gilding to the rope twist border of the base.

This white unglazed bisque porcelain was introduced in the 1840s by several manufacturers, especially Minton and Copeland. It was Minton who named it 'Parian' because of its resemblance to marble from the Aegean island of Paros. This special body of porcelain was created to specifically imitate marble. It lent itself to be suitable for creating small figures, and larger busts; often copying earlier famous works of art of sculptured marble. The heyday for Parian figures and busts was from the 1840s up until the 1900 period.

You can easily imagine a Lifesize version of our recumbent classical figure. But to create it is such small scale and not lose any of the realism is quite remarkable. Our figure was made from tinted Parian. This was a much more expensive process for the makers to produce.

Our figure is English in origin, easy to tell by the fine quality. She has the applied impressed registration diamond to her under base. The cyphers within the diamond state the registration of the design for letter I indicating the year 1872.

Size: Just under 5 inch tall by 7 1/2 inch long by 3 3/8 inch deep. (13 cm by 19 cm by 8.5 cm)

Condition: She has damage, hard to notice at first but the urn at her rear would have originally held a large Parian vase. This has been replaced by some material added inside the urn. We have to say that we prefer her this way. Otherwise, all good, one little nibble to the rear base. All toes, fingers, nose etc intact.

Item id:16400