This is a fabulous pair of figures of Liberty and Matrimony made by the Bow Porcelain factory between 1760 and 1764. These figures were a popular pair portraying marriage.
The Bow Porcelain Factory was one of the first potteries in Britain to make soft paste porcelain, and most probably the very first to use bone ash, which later got perfected by Josiah Spode to what is now the universally used "bone china". Bow was the main competitor of the Chelsea Porcelain Factory, but where Chelsea made very fine slipcast porcelain, Bow made a different soft paste porcelain that tended to be softer and could be pressed into moulds. Bow served a larger public generally at lower prices. The factory was only in operation between 1743 and 1774, after which the tradition got incorporated into some of the later famous potteries such as Worcester and Derby.
These figures were used to adorn the dinner table when dessert was served; groups of figures served to express something about the host, the guests, or to direct the conversation. Liberty and Matrimony were of course very appropriate if there was any talk about arranging marriages at the dinner table - which is where such deals were often made.
We see Liberty, the male figure, standing next to a nest with eggs with another nest with three little chicks in his right hand, his left hand protectively held over the chicks. The female figure, Matrimony, is stood with a golden cage in her hands. Both figures are dressed in very dapper floral costumes and they are stood against a background of waist-high bocage with flowers placed on a Rococo scroll.
The figures are marked with the red anchor and dagger mark that was used in this period. An image of Matrimony can be found in Peter Bradshaw's book on Bow Porcelain Figures, page 151, plate 156 and the description of the pair, which have the number B114, on page 177.
Provenance: Works of Art from the Schroder Collection.
CONDITION REPORT The figures are in excellent antique condition with some invisible professional restorations and touch-ups; Matrimony's arms have been repaired as has a section of the front of the base; Liberty has chips off the birds' beaks and his fingers and some flaking of the green enamels. Some typical small losses of flowers, but generally looking fresh and authentic.
Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1700s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account.
There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures!
DIMENSIONS 22cm high (8.75").
