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Minton Parian Porcelain Figures, Miranda & Lalage Celadon Green, John Bell, 1872

Name: Minton Parian Porcelain Figures, Miranda & Lalage Celadon Green, John Bell, 1872
Brand: John Bell, Minton
Rating: 5 (44 reviews)

$4,500List Price

About the Item

This is a pair of wonderful celadon parian figures made by Minton in 1872 and 1873. The figures were modelled by John Bell, who was one of Minton's best modellers and who modelled many of their most popular figures. The figures are called "Miranda" and "Lalage". Minton was one of the pioneers of English china production alongside other great potters such as Spode, Davenport, Ridgway, Coalport and others. They were located in Staffordshire and were known specifically for their wonderfully Fine white bone china, parian china and bright colors; there is a color called "Minton Blue" which is a fresh azure blue that Minton excelled in. Minton produced the finest British porcelain, often thanks to the fact that they sourced some of their best artists and scientists from the French Sèvres factory. Minton supplied huge quantities of tablewares, tiles, and other items to the USA in the 19th century, the White House was traditionally supplied with Minton crockery and many great buildings of this era were tiled with Minton tiles. These items were created in Minton's famous parian porcelain, which is very smooth and beautifully modelled. The color is a mix of white and wonderfully soft celadon; this means that the porcelain itself is colored, creating a very dense effect. The seated figure with the flower wreath and the little lizard at her feet is called Lalage. This is a Greek name and the Greek poet Horace wrote his famous love poem "Integer vitae" to a girl named Lalage. The other figure, seated with her feet in the frothy sea and a sea shell beside her, is called Miranda. The name means "worthy of admiration", and in Shakespeare's "The Tempest", Miranda is an innocent girl raised and educated on an isolated island by her magician father. Both items have impressed Minton and the year codes for 1872 and 1873. Both items also have the artist's name impressed in them. Condition report both figures are in perfect condition without any damage or repairs, and no wear. There are some very minor imperfections in the porcelain, as can be expected from 19th century porcelain. Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Dimensions both figures are 39cm high.

Creator:
Minton (Maker),John Bell (Sculptor)
Dimensions:
Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Victorian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1870-1879
Date of Manufacture:
1873
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. In excellent antique condition without any damage, repairs or visible wear.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: LT-MIN041stDibs: LU4805115226901

Shop All Minton

Minton

Pottery is one of the oldest decorative art forms, and Minton is one of its historical masters. For more than 250 years, the English company was a premier producer of porcelain and ceramic wares. Its factory was known for detailed and brightly colored Victorian tableware, including dinner plates and serving pieces.

Thomas Minton founded the Minton factory in 1793 in Stoke-upon-Trent, England. It initially made earthenware but introduced bone china in 1798. When Minton died in 1836, the company passed to his son, Herbert Minton. The younger Minton was a savvy businessman with an eye for design. He introduced glossy majolica earthenware to the factory’s repertoire and hired skilled artists and designers like Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, boosting the company’s reputation.

In 1851, Minton debuted its majolica at the Great Exhibition in London. It became a royal family favorite and was even used to tile the Royal Dairy at Windsor Home Park. Minton majolica was also displayed on the monumental Saint George and the dragon fountain at the 1862 London International Exhibition.

Colin Minton Campbell, a nephew of Herbert Minton, took over the family business in 1858. He led the company to the head of the 1870s English art pottery movement. In the 1890s, French porcelain artist Marc-Louis Solon helped modernize Minton with his Art Nouveau designs.

Minton ceased operating as an independent company when it merged with Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd. in 1968. It was the end of an era, but not the end of widespread appreciation for Minton ceramics.

In 1982, the ”English Majolica” exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum featured 75 Minton pieces. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its British Galleries in 2020, it included a display of three colorful Minton majolica bird sculptures. Minton pottery was also on display from September 2021 to January 2022, along with other English pottery, at the Bard Graduate Center’s ”Majolica Mania” exhibition.

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