This is a beautiful porcelain figure of Juno with a peacock, made by Derby around the year 1780.
The Derby Porcelain factory has its roots in the late 1740s, when Andrew Planché, a Walloon Huguenot refugee, started making simple porcelain toys shaped like animals in his back yard. In 1756 Staffordshire enameller William Duysbury and banker John Heath started a new porcelain factory with Planché and this was to grow out to the largest factory of its time, buying up the bankrupted Chelsea and Bow factories, as well as the stock of several other workshops including that of James Giles. The combination of various traditions, porcelain making skills and sophisticated clients enabled Duesbury to create one of the best porcelain factories of the 18th and 19th Centuries, which after many ups and downs is still operative today. The period between the purchase of the Chelsea factory in 1770 and ca 1784 is called the Chelsea-Derby era, when many items were created in Derby and decorated in Chelsea.
Juno with a peacock is Derby figure no. 119, as inscribed on the underside. Made in the Chelsea-Derby era, it was first issued in 1778. This figure is one of Derby's re-issues of a previous Rococo version from the 1760s. This was the beginning of the neo-classical period and the figure is mounted on a simple square base rather than the elaborate scroll base that was used for the previous version. Juno would originally have had Jupiter, who was both her brother and her spouse, as a companion figure.
Peter Bradshaw explains the background of Juno and her peacock in his book 'Derby Porcelain Figures 1750-1848':
"Once, when Jupiter was making love to the minor goddess, Io, fearing he had been observed, he transformed her into a white heifer. Juno became suspicious and sent the hundred-eyed Argus to guard the animal. Jupiter called Mercury to assist him, who sent Argus to sleep by relating to him a long and boring story, and then slew him. Juno placed the hundred eyes in the tail feathers of the peacock, which henceforth became sacred to her name." (page 265).
This Juno was made in fresh colours that are typical for this Chelsea-Derby period, with a bright lime green cape, a delicate blue head scarf and a bright gold and orange crown, and a dress with purple flowers. The peacock is brightly coloured with a blue breast, a stern facial expression and wonderful multi-coloured purple tail feathers. The peacock is tucked away under Juno's cape in a wonderful way. Juno carries a white staff.
Figures like these were used to adorn the dinner table when dessert was served; groups of figures could serve to express something about the host, the guests, or to direct the conversation. Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were popular among these figure series.
The figure is unmarked as is usual for figures of this particular era, except the inscribed number No 119 on the underside. An image with description can be found in Peter Bradshaw's book 'Derby Porcelain Figures 1750-1848' in plate 214.
CONDITION REPORT: The figure is in excellent antique condition with some very minor professional and invisible repairs. There are tiny repairs to both hands, and the staff has been replaced. There is a hardly visible touch-up on the base in the front. Other than this, the figure is undamaged and bright.
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.
DIMENSIONS: Height 17cm (6.75"), 9cm (3.5") wide and 9cm (3.5") deep.
Chelsea-Derby porcelain figure of Juno with a peacock, ca 1780
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We always aim to have happy customers so if you have an issue with or questions about your item, please contact us and we will do anything we can to resolve the issue with you!
