Two Meissen porcelain figures of Turkish women, circa 1746

The dancing figure:

Sotheby’s, London, 15 November 1994, lot 65;

Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018) Collection, Woolley & Wallis, Salisbury, 30 April 2013, lot 641 (part);

Acquired at the above sale. 

The dancing figure:

Sarah-Katharina Andres-Acevedo, Die autonomen figürlichen Plastiken Johann Joachim Kaendlers und seiner Werkstatt zwischen 1731 und 1748, Vol. II, Stuttgart, 2023, p. 223, cat. no. 649.

The figure holding a flag is taken from the engraving by Caspar Luyken (1672-1708), Eine Türkin im Haus, after Johannes de Ram, published by Christoph Wiegel, Neu-eröffnete Welt-Galleria [...], in Nuremberg in 1703. The model is included in Eberlein's work records in 1743 and January 1744: 'Ein Türckisch Frauenzimmer verfertigt', [completed a figure of a Turkish woman]; quoted from Sarah-Katharina Andres-Acevedo, Die autonomen figürlichen Plastiken Johann Joachim Kaendlers und seiner Wekstatt, Vol. II, Stuttgart, 2023, no. 438. An example of the figure bearing a ‘K.H.C.’ inventory mark in purple, was sold at Sotheby’s, Olympia, 19 April 2007, lot 14. The mark indicates it had been included in the Königliche Hof Conditorey and was delivered to the Royal Court Pantry in Dresden of Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. The dancing figure is included in Reinicke’s and Kändler’s work records for October 1746: ‘Die bereits in vorgien Monath angefangene tanzende Türkin vollends verfertiget’, [The dancing Turkish woman, which was started last month, has been completed]; ‘Eine Türckin im Modell Corrigiret und Selbige Zum aus formen in tüchtigen Stand gesetzet’, [A Turkish woman model corrected and put into a capable position for shaping] (quoted from Andres-Acevedo, 2023, p. 223).