A Meissen porcelain figure of a spaniel dog
Blue crossed swords mark on the reverse, unglazed base. The bow and bells of the collar restored, a firing crack. H 18.7 cm.
Model by Johann Joachim Kaendler, presumably in 1748, produced soon after.
Both in his workshop records and in the “taxa”, Kaendler lists the production of numerous dog statuettes for the ladies of court. The majority of these were pug dogs, which became especially popular at the Saxon court following the founding of the Order of the Pug, but he also produced Bolognese dogs and many other unspecified breeds. One such example was a piece mentioned in his workshop records in 1743 as being “modelled from life” for Countess Moszczynska, née Cosel (Pietsch, p. 100), and the taxa lists under number 97 “1 small dog as a companion to that modelled from life for her excellence Countess Moszczynska” (Rafael, a.a.O., p. 53).
Literature
Cf. a figure of a dog scratching itself in the Porzellansammlung SKD, inv. no. PE 3896, in Pietsch, Die figürliche Meißener Porzellanplastik von Gottlieb Kirchner und Johann Joachim Kaendler, Munich 2006, no. 309, who also publishes Kaendler's workshop records as of 1740, which could describe this piece: "2. Pologneser zotteligte Hunde, gegeneinander sehend auff Camine zu sezen, davon einer sich kratzet, der andere aber aufrecht sizet(...)". Cf. also Rafael, "Zur Taxe Kaendler", in: Keramos 203/204/2009, p. 55.