This is a beautiful pair of Derby figures called the "Gallant and Lady attired as Shepherds", made between 1756 and 1769. The pair bears the catalogue number E22. This particular pair is very finely made and in excellent condition without any restoration, which is very rare.
This pair is relatively rare among the Derby pairs of shepherds. The gallant has a rather demure-looking lamb under his arm and seems to be gesticulating to the lady. The lady has a basket with flower hanging off one arm, holding up her apron full of flowers and fruits with her other. Both are dressed well beyond what a shepherd would really wear in rainy, muddy England: beautifully painted Rococo fashion with brightly coloured prints and delicate shoes with ribbons. Imagine them walking over the muddy moors with their silk shoes!
The Derby Porcelain factory has its roots in the late 1740s, when André Planché, a Walloon Huguenot refugee, started making simple porcelain toys shaped like animals. Local entrepeneur William Duysbury took an interest in his skills and worked with him to improve the quality of his wonderfully shaped items. Together they laid the foundations of what would become a very refined tradition of figure making at Derby. In 1769 Duysbury bought up the bankrupted Chelsea factory, incorporating their reputation for high quality figures and tableware; this combination of traditions, porcelain making skills, sophisticated clients and available work people created one of the best porcelain factories of the 18th and 19th Centuries, which after many ups and downs is still operative today.
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. One popular topic was an array of romantic rural characters, and this pair is from one such series.
The figures are unmarked but they have three patch marks on the underside, which makes it possible to date them.
DOCUMENTATION: The pair is described on page 100 of "Derby Porcelain Figures 1750-1848" by Peter Bradshaw.
CONDITION REPORT: The figures are in unusually good condition without any repairs or damage, other than a few very minor missing petals to the flowers. It is extremely rare to find these figures without any restoration to the heads, hands or hats. The colours are bright and fresh. The gallant has some crazing to his face; otherwise the condition is perfect.
Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, 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 about 23cm (9").
