English Porcelain Arbor Musician Candelabrum, Derby, Circa 1770

English Porcelain Arbor Musician Candelabrum,

Derby,

Circa 1770.

The Chelsea or Chelsea Derby porcelain arbor musician candelabrum are a pair. One is a male musician playing the bagpipes, and, on the other a lady playing the lute. Each musician sits in an alcove surrounded by an arbor consisting of a patterned fan-shaped opening with  trellised flowers growing on the top and sides while behind each figure is a circular openwork pattern. Raised above is a Chinese pagoda tower surmounting the whole. At the feet of the musicians is another openwork feature. To each side of the figure groups are candle holders and sconces. The whole is raised on a rococo scroll base with a central panel in a shell shape edged in puce.

The base with pad marks.

Dimensions: 15 inches high x 12 1/2 inches wide x 6 3/4 inches deep.

Reference:

Derby Porcelain, Franklin A. Barrett & Arthur L. Thorpe, illustration 72, and with information on page 23, for another female figure identical to our examples in the Derby Museum.  The authors on page 23 describe the Derby Museum figures as "an important pair of Musicians...seated within pagodas reminiscent of Chinese Chippendale mirrors".rence:

See a pair of Chelsea Arbor candlesticks in the British Museum (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1948-1203-58)

See a pair of similar groups in the Met with Chinoiserie figures and also topped by a pagoda. (Accession Number: 14.58.92 and Accession Number: 14.58.91.
(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/192824 and X(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/192825).

Reference: Chelsea Porcelain: The Gold Anchor Wares, F. Severne Mackenna, No. 91, Plate 90, for a smaller pair of arbor musicians with similar arbor designs.

The British Museum has a pair of Chelsea Chinoiserie Musician Candleabra (missing their holders) within a arbor on scroll feet. Museum Nunber 1948,1203.58.  (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1948-1203-58)

(Ref: VM98657-nmrr)

Dimensions

Price

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Condition report

Stock number