Meissen. 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel - photo 1
Meissen. 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel - photo 2
Meissen. 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel - photo 3
Meissen. 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel - photo 4
Meissen. 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel - photo 5
Meissen. 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel - photo 6
Meissen. 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel - photo 7

16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel

Lot 13
01.06.2021 10:00UTC +01:00
Classic
Sold
€ 7 000
AuctioneerVAN HAM Kunstauktionen GmbH
Event locationGermany, Köln
Buyer Premium29%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 549381
Lot 13 | 16 porcelain figurines and a music desk from the ape chapel
Estimate value
€ 4 500 – 5 000
16 PORCELAIN FIGURINES AND A MUSIC DESK FROM THE APE CHAPEL.

Meissen.
Date: 20th/21st century.
Maker/Designer: Model J.J. Kaendler.
Technique: Porcelain, enriched in colours and gold.
Description: Consisting of: ape as music director with music desk, 4 singers, flute player with drum,
flute player, bassoon player, ape playing backpipes, horn player, trumpet player, harp
player, violinist, ape playing the cello, guitar player, ape carrying a drum.
Measurement: Height 12-19cm.
Mark: Swordsmark, once with one grind, once with two grinds, different model numbers, porcelain former's numbers and year marks, some with painter's numbers in red and black.


Literature:
- Adams, Len and Yvonne: Meissen Portrait Figures, Leicester 1992, P.188 und 195.
- Rückert, Rainer: Meissener Porzellan von 1710-1810. Cat. Nr.1064-1078
- www.meissen.com (Stand 04.03.2020)

The monkey figurines, dressed in elaborate rococo clothing, parody the upper social class of the 18th century and its allures in a highly exaggerated manner. Historical records suggest that the eccentric apes were inspired in particular by the chapel of Count Brühl. The male monkeys take on the roles of the musicians, while the female monkeys are portrayed as singers.
Even though the exact date of origin of the chapel is not precisely documented, the form numbers and a purchase of 19 such figures by Madame de Pompadour suggest that the figurines were developed around 1753. Probably created by Johann Joachim Kaendler and reviewed in 1765/66 with the assistance of Peter Reinicke, the monkeys are considered the "most bizarre classic of the Meissen Baroque" (www.meissen.com).
In the middle of the 18th century depictions of monkeys, which in a parodistic way depict human traits, enjoyed great popularity. This genre of the so-called "Singerie" (French "singe" = monkey) was not only interpreted in porcelain, but can also be found in wall and ceiling frescoes or on goblins. There is a presumption that Christophe Hueet's wall paintings in the so-called monkey cabinet of Chantilly Castle may be regarded as a model for the Meissen chapel. Another French model could be a monkey chapel of the Mennecy Manufactory from the 1740s. Another example of a chapel that resembles Kaendler's models for the Meissen manufactory is an alabaster chapel from Venice, made around 1745, that today is exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
Manufactur:Meissen Porcelain Factory
Auction house category:Porcelain
Address of auction VAN HAM Kunstauktionen GmbH
Hitzelerstr. 2
50968 Köln
Germany
Preview
27.05.2021 – 30.05.2021
Phone +49 221 92586215
Fax +49 221 92 58 62 4
Email
4FQ.4SU-3S1@Y3GR3F@
Buyer Premium 29%
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 10:00 – 17:00   
Tu 10:00 – 17:00   
We 10:00 – 17:00   
Th 10:00 – 17:00   
Fr 10:00 – 17:00   
Sa 10:00 – 13:00   
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.