Sculpture of the Day: A Parian Figurine, 1850

Parian Group
"The Merry Wives of Windsor"
James Hadley, 1850
English
The Victoria and Albert Museum

This highly detailed work of Parian (unglazed biscuit porcelain) dates to 1850 and is the work of James Hadley. Parian became quite popular in the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century since it was an economical way to bring the look of classical marble statuary into the home.


Parian figures often depicted classical or mythological scenes, single figures or groups, and frequently displayed pastoral or domestic themes. This piece depicts the scene from The Merry Wives of Windsor wherein Mistresses Page and Ford humiliate Falstaff as revenge for his untoward advances. In retaliation, the ladies hide him in a laundry basket which Mrs. Ford's servants later leave in the river.