ART 198 - HISTORY OF WORLD CERAMICS

In a lighter vein, Kändler also designed a series of humorous works in porcelain of figures representing the characters from the commedia dell'arte. The 'Comedy of Art' was a popular theatrical form that was all the rage in Europe from 1500-1700 CE. The commedia dell'arte derives from the Italian set of stock characters and situations that in turn dates back to Roman times. Characters such as Harlequin, Scaramouche, Columbine, Il Dottore, and Punchinello were well known to audiences of the time. This particular figure is Punchinello, the hook nosed, humpback trickster. Punchinello was a brutal, vindictive, and deceitful character, always at odds with authority. This character has its roots in Roman theater as a clown and would later evolve into Punch of the Punch and Judy show. The porcelain figure is glazed, and then painted and fired with overglazes and lusters. These figures were used as ornaments for centerpieces at the dining table, or as decorative objects.

Punchinello, porcelain figure from the commedia dell'arte Meissen, Germany, 1740 CE, 6.25" height