Modeled seated with his hand resting on his raised knee, his left leg tucked beneath him, with a pierced mouth and ears, his head with tufts of hair behind his ears, the edge of his robe with a gilt and purple Böttger-lustre border
3³⁄₄ in. (9.5 cm.) high

With J.J. Klejman Gallery, New York.
Property from the Collection of Frederick J. and Antoinette H. Van Slyke; Sotheby's, New York, 26 September 1989, lot 138.

Conditions of Sale
FAQs
This lot is offered by Christie's Inc

Brought to you by

Lot Essay

Referred to in the factory's records as Sitzende Indianische Pagoden, pagoda figures such as the present example were produced at Meissen from the earliest days of Böttger porcelain and red stoneware. Loosely modeled after a variety of Chinese deities but exact replicas of no one particular god, they are believed to derive particular inspiration from blanc de Chine figures produced in Dehua, representing one of the various forms of Budai, also known as the Laughing Buddha. These small figures were used as covers for incense-burners, the pierced holes in their mouths and ears allowing scented smoke to exit. For similar examples, see U. Pietsch, Early Meissen Porcelain: The Wark Collection from the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, London, 2011, pp. 91-92, nos. 41-47 and Maria Santangelo, A Princely Pursuit: The Malcolm D. Gutter Collection of Early Meissen Porcelain, San Francisco, 2018, pp. 62-67.