Lot 166 | Meissen | PORCELAIN FIGURINES OF THE 'RUSSIAN BALLET'

PORCELAIN FIGURINES OF THE 'RUSSIAN BALLET'.

Meissen.
Maker/Designer: Models P. Scheurich, 1913.
Technique: Porcelain, enriched with colours.
Description: Pierrot, Eusebius, Estrella, Chiarina and Harlekin with Columbine from the ballet
'Carnival'. The dancers in eccentric costumes with theatrical poses and expressive
countenance.
Measurement: Height 18-27,5cm.
Mark: Swords mark once with four grinds, D283/D284/D285/D286/73306, porcelain former's no. 52/76/48/51/123, once painter's no. 9, once with year mark for 1977.
Twice condition A, three times condition C.

Provenance:
- Private collection Hesse.

Literature:
- Jedding, Hermann. Meißener Porzellan des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts 1800-1933, Munich 1981, cf. pp.128-129.
- Just, Johannes: Meissener Jugendstil Porzellan, Gütersloh 1983, cf. ill. 77.
- Bröhan, Karl H. (ed.): Porzellan. Kunst und Design 1889 bis 1939. Vom Jugendstil zum Funktionalismus, Berlin 1996, cf. p.125ff.; regarding Paul Scheurich see p.123ff.
- Hakenjos, Bernd / Grolman, Dorothea: Um 1900. Porzellan aus Berlin, Meissen und Nymphenburg, Düsseldorf 1999, Models cf. cat. no. 122-127.

Paul Scheurich, born in New York in 1883 as the son of a photographer from Berlin, was one of the most important porcelain sculptors of the art nouveau. Originally working as a graphic artist and illustrator, his talent for the material was discovered and encouraged by Max Adolf Pfeiffer. Between 1913 and 1938 Scheurich designed more than 100 models for the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory and contributed significantly to its success. At the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris, where the manufactory was awarded the 'Grand Prix', six of the seven prize-winning objects were designed by him.
The 'Russian Ballet', Scheurich's first design produced by Meissen, also was his first great success. First presented in 1914 at the German Werkbund Exhibition in Cologne, the models became a bestseller after World War I. The graceful dancers, with their coquettish, theatrical facial expressions, skilfully illustrate the 'Russian Ballet' of the imperial theatres in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the years before the first World War the corps de ballet, founded by the famous impresario Sergei Djagilev, caused sensation all over Europe. The dancers gave guest performances in London, Paris and also Berlin, where the young Scheurich sat in the audience during a performance of the play 'Carnival'. As early as 1912 a series of six etchings entitled 'Pierrot' was published by the renowned Berlin art dealer Gurlitt, in which Scheurich takes reference to the production. The ballet pantomime to an orchestral version of Robert Schumann's piano cycle 'Le Carnaval' enjoyed great popularity with the audience and was performed a total of 14 times in Berlin. The leading roles were played by star dancers such as Tamara Karsawina and Waslaw Nijinski, whom Scheurich is said to have portrayed in his figurines.