Three Meissen porcelain allegorical figures representing Africa, Asia, and America
Africa depicted sitting on a lion with a sheaf of wheat and a sceptre. Asia sitting on a camel holding a sceptre and an incense burner. America sitting on a crocodile and holding a cornucopia Africa and Asia with faint blue crossed swords marks on the unglazed bases, America a later model with blue crossed swords mark on a glazed, hollow base. Restored. H 18.3 - 19.5 cm.
Model by Johann Joachim Kaendler, 1745, the figures of Africa and Asia produced soon after.
Provenance
Auctioned by Sotheby's London on 29th June 2004, lot 113.
German private ownership.
Literature
The figures of Africa and Asia also found in the collection of C.H. Fischer in Dresden, auctioned by Heberle (H. Lempertz´ Söhne) Cologne, 22nd-25th October 1906, lot 751, 753.
Cf. also the continent figures in the Pauls-Eisenbeiss collection in Menzhausen/Karpinski, In Porzellan verzaubert, Basel 1993, p. 171 ff.
Kaendler wrote in his workshop records on 28th September 1745: "1 Grouppe Africam vorstellend wie nehml. ein Frauenzimmer auf einem Löwen sizet, in gehöriger Kleidung mit einem Elephanten-Casquet auf dem Haupte". And on 20th November 1745 he described Asia and America: "1. Groupgen Amerikam vorstellend mit Crocodille, worauf ein mit viel Juwelen geschmücktes Frauenzimmer sizt in einem Kleide von lauter Federn" and ""Eine Gruppe, Asiam vorstellend, da ein Frauenzimmer auf einem Cameel und hat auf dem Kopffe einen Türcken-Bund."