Figure of the Day: The Flower Girl, c. 1760

The Flower Girl
The Bow Porcelain Factory
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This figure from the Bow Porcelain Factory depicts a young woman with a basket of flowers. She symbolizes Springtime with her basket of flowers, her pink bodice and green corsage and diapered skirt of red, yellow and green. Blue circles and stars adorn her outfit and match her blue shoes—topped by pink rosettes.

She’s wholly Rococo on her circular base with applied leaves. This work of soft-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilding followed the French fashion of porcelain figural groups designed for the dessert table. 

Figure of the Day: A Punchinello, 1750

Punchinello
Bow Porcelain Factory
England, c. 1750
The British Museum

Made in Bow at the Factory of the Bow China Works, this glazed figure of soft-paste porcelain dates to 1750 and depicts Punchinello. He stands, almost in profile, on a shallow, square base. Punchinello’s hunchback is supported by a tree trunk. This bit of the figure is unglazed to contrast the texture of the tree with the shimmer of Mr. Punch. In a way, this serves to make the grayish white figure all the more alive.

Figure of the Day: The Flower Girl, c. 1760

The Flower Girl
The Bow Porcelain Factory
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This figure from the Bow Porcelain Factory depicts a young woman with a basket of flowers. She symbolizes Springtime with her basket of flowers, her pink bodice and green corsage and diapered skirt of red, yellow and green. Blue circles and stars adorn her outfit and match her blue shoes—topped by pink rosettes.

She’s wholly Rococo on her circular base with applied leaves. This work of soft-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilding followed the French fashion of porcelain figural groups designed for the dessert table. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Bow Porcelain Sheep, 1765

Sheep
Bow Porcelain Factory
England, 1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made at England’s Bow Porcelain Factory, this figure of soft-paste porcelain sates to about 1765. This little sheep is painted with enamel colors. He’s shown standing beside a stump which is adorned with large leaves and flowers with yellow centers and white petals. As sheep tend to do, he is eating the grass and plants around him. This is a great example of the sort of figure which was popular during the Rococo movement. Even the base is Rococo with its six, low feet which have been picked out in green and purple. 

Figure of the Day: The Bow Porcelain Sheep, 1765

Sheep
Bow Porcelain Factory
England, 1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made at England’s Bow Porcelain Factory, this figure of soft-paste porcelain sates to about 1765. This little sheep is painted with enamel colors. He’s shown standing beside a stump which is adorned with large leaves and flowers with yellow centers and white petals. As sheep tend to do, he is eating the grass and plants around him. This is a great example of the sort of figure which was popular during the Rococo movement. Even the base is Rococo with its six, low feet which have been picked out in green and purple. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Punchinello, 1750

Punchinello
Bow Porcelain Factory
England, c. 1750
The British Museum

Made in Bow at the Factory of the Bow China Works, this glazed figure of soft-paste porcelain dates to 1750 and depicts Punchinello. He stands, almost in profile, on a shallow, square base. Punchinello’s hunchback is supported by a tree trunk. This bit of the figure is unglazed to contrast the texture of the tree with the shimmer of Mr. Punch. In a way, this serves to make the grayish white figure all the more alive.

Figure of the Day: The Flower Girl, c. 1760

The Flower Girl
The Bow Porcelain Factory
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This figure from the Bow Porcelain Factory depicts a young woman with a basket of flowers. She symbolizes Springtime with her basket of flowers, her pink bodice and green corsage and diapered skirt of red, yellow and green. Blue circles and stars adorn her outfit and match her blue shoes—topped by pink rosettes.

She’s wholly Rococo on her circular base with applied leaves. This work of soft-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilding followed the French fashion of porcelain figural groups designed for the dessert table. 

History’s Runway: The May Littledale Ball Gown, c. 1885

Ball Gown
England, 1885
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When May Primrose married Henry Littledale in 1885, the world proved bright and promising for the attractive and fashionable young couple. However, their happiness was not to be long-lived. May was killed in a terrible riding accident in early 1886.

Still, in the few months that the couple was married, they wowed London Society with their handsome wardrobes. May Littledale was especially praised for her fine taste in clothing and this gorgeous gown is testament to her fashion choices.

This gown features a heavily boned(whale bone) bodice which is laced on the reverse like a corset. The silhouette en vogue at the time emphasizes a tiny waist and bustled rear. Bodices of the era tended to be cut high on the hips to accommodate heavily-pleated skirts like this one of moiré silk. The silk is draped across the front and gathered at the sides, complemented by a huge bow.

Gifts of Grandeur: The American Ribbon Brooch, 1930-1940

Click image to enlarge.

Bow Brooch
American, 1930-1940
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This bow brooch of platinum is set with brilliant-cut and baguette-cut diamonds and onyx. Made in the United States between 1930 and 1940, this shimmering bow represents the artistic sensibilities of American Art Deco jewelry design.

Pavé-set brilliant-cut diamonds create an interesting texture and refraction as they replicate the soft loops and folds of a bow. The bow’s knot and “tails” are comprised of linearly-set baguettes. The onyx—an Art Deco mainstay—was added to add cool contrast to the fire of the white diamonds. The sheen of the black stone gives weight to the ends of the ribbon.

 

Figure of the Day: The Bow Porcelain Sheep, 1765

Sheep
Bow Porcelain Factory
England, 1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made at England’s Bow Porcelain Factory, this figure of soft-paste porcelain sates to about 1765. This little sheep is painted with enamel colors. He’s shown standing beside a stump which is adorned with large leaves and flowers with yellow centers and white petals. As sheep tend to do, he is eating the grass and plants around him. This is a great example of the sort of figure which was popular during the Rococo movement. Even the base is Rococo with its six, low feet which have been picked out in green and purple. 

Figure of the Day: The Bow Erato, c. 1750

The Bow Erato
Bow Porcelain Factory
England, 1750
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in the Bow area of east London at the appropriately-named Bow Factory, this figure dates to around 1750. The Bow Factory was known for its posh porcelain tablewares as well as their handsome figurines.

This figure is one of a series for which the Bow concern was celebrated. The series depicted the “muses” and was produced by a single anonymous modeler who history calls “The Muses Modeller.” The figures, though somewhat naïve, show a clever use of color and sensitive modeling style. Here, we see “Erato,” the Muse of Lyric (and “love” or “erotic”) poetry.