A 19th century Meissen porcelain (Germany) male pagoda nodde...

Hammer

£2,700

A 19th century Meissen porcelain (Germany) male pagoda nodder figure, 18 by 9 by 19cm high.
In the early 18th Century, ‘pagoda’ figures began to be made by the Meissen factory in Germany. The undersides of these models are marked with blue crossed swords, indicating that they are Meissen ‘pagodes’. Founded in 1709, Meissen was the first manufacturer of true porcelain in Europe. The factory received royal backing by King Augustus II The Strong, and enjoyed the patronage of the European nobility and social elite.

These porcelain ‘pagodes’ take the form of a broadly-grinning Chinese man and woman, who sit cross-legged, sporting large bellies and ears. They wear pointed and heeled shoes and loosely draped robes, decorated with colourful flowers, as well as parcel gilt shirts with frilled collars. The figures' heads nod, and their hands and tongues move, to delight and captivate viewers.