This is a fabulous pair of Derby porcelain figures of Mars and Venus, made between 1759 and 1769, which was the Rococo era. This is what is called the "Patchmark" era of Derby's figure production. 

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 Mars figure is after a famous Meissen figure of 1746, made by J.J.Kändler. Derby has made these figures since 1752 and this is their second version. Mars was the god of War, son of Jupiter and Juno. He was not popular among the other gods and usually appears either by himself, with Venus (whom he fathered Cupid with), or with Minerva, the other great military strategist. In this version Mars is represented as a centurion in a cloak and chain armour, a crested helmet, a thonged kilt and sandals and a rooster by his feet. He his holding the hilt of a sword over a flag, an oval shield by his feet.
 
The Venus figure is also a close copy of an original Meissen figure. Venus was born from the sea foam and was the goddess of beauty, desire and fertility. Venus was also seen as the balancing principle against Mars' power and cunning, and together they fathered Cupid. Here you see Venus restraining the energetic and mischievous Cupid, who is trying to snatch a bunch of flowers from her hand (sadly, the flowers have gone). The figure is created playfully, with a sense of movement in the flowing dress and little Cupid who seems to be going through his Terrible Twos.
 
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. The Four Seasons would of course represent the passing of time, and perhaps for the landed gentry the importance of good management of the land.
 
These figures were meant to be candle sticks and you can see the fittings for the sconces; however the sconces have disappeared. It is quite possible to get them replaced, however as there is currently a dearth of restorers this could take a while - but if you are interested please let us know as we can arrange restoration for an additional fee.
 
The figures are unmarked as is usual for figures of this particular era. They are numbered E59 and D67 in the generally accepted index of Derby figures and images can be found in Peter Bradshaw's book "Derby Porcelain Figures 1750-1848".
 
CONDITION REPORT: The figures are in very good antique condition with some minor flaws. Both figures have some firing cracks from production, however they are entirely stable and this is not very obvious. There are some small losses to the bocage and flower petals here and there in both figures. Both sconces are missing. There is no further damage or restoration and very little wear.
 
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 ca 19cm (7.5").