Carl Thieme, Dresden - Figurine (2) - Porcelain

Pair of porcelain prancing figurines of the finest era, depicting a noble couple in 18th-century attire (rococo or baroque style), finely hand-decorated.
Subject: A lady and a courtly gentleman captured in a moment of elegant conversation or theatrical courtship. Both display dynamic poses, expressive gazes, and gesturality typical of artistic salon porcelain from the XVIII and XIX centuries.

Height: about 40 cm (a striking and visually impactful size for statues of this kind, usually smaller).

Commercial provenance: Purchased in the 1970s at the renowned old master gallery Passarelli-Pecorella in Naples (Piazza San Pasquale), a historic reference point for elite Neapolitan antiques.

The Lady
Attire: Wears a sumptuous vertically striped blue and gold gown with a small polka dot motif. The dress features gold ruffles and wide puffed sleeves in white lace. On her shoulders she carries a glossy cobalt blue mantle.

Hairstyle: The coppery hair is gathered into an elaborate hairstyle of the period, topped with a coordinated blue and gold cap or bonnet.

Pose: The left hand is delicately raised to the face with an expression of surprise or secrecy, while the right hand gracefully lifts a fold of the mantle.

The Gentleman
Attire: Wears a cobalt blue frock coat opened over a richly damascened gold waistcoat on a white ground. Knee breeches (culottes) echo the striped blue, white, and gold motif of the lady. White long stockings and black buckle shoes complete the outfit.

Pose: The noble is depicted in a plastic pose, partially leaning on a stool or a backstaged piece of furniture draped with a cloth. His right hand rests on his chest in a gallant gesture and his gaze is directed toward the companion.

Turning the figurines over, the back reveals crucial elements for their cataloging:

Serial Numbers and Inventory: * Under the bases are antique paper labels with consecutive numbers 9288 (under the man) and 9289 (under the woman), demonstrating that the pieces originate as a coordinated pair (pendant).

There are old price or inventory tags handwritten in ("£ 90.000"), a fascinating financial nod to the 1970s.

A number is glimpsed engraved or stamped in the raw porcelain (e.g. 63260), typical of the model numbers of the master craftsmen.

The bases are worked with faux rock or grassy reliefs with gilded edges in rocaille motifs. The glaze’s luster, the brilliance of cobalt blue, and the millimetric precision of the gold details testify to an excellent level of craftsmanship, characteristic of the great Neapolitan ceramic tradition. The pieces are in excellent aesthetic condition, ideal for display in a refined or collection-oriented setting.