Items Similar to Minton Celadon Parian Porcelain Sculpture, Venus and Cupid, Victorian, 1861
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 16
Minton Celadon Parian Porcelain Sculpture, Venus and Cupid, Victorian, 1861
About the Item
This is a beautiful celadon parian porcelain figure group made by Minton in 1861, which was the Victorian era. The group is of Venus and her son Cupid, seated in a shell.
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 and bright colors; there is a color called "Minton Blue" which is a fresh azure blue that Minton excelled in. 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.
Venus is seated in a shell, her little son Cupid hugging her from behind and her shroud fluttering in the wind rather than covering her. Two mermaids hold the shell up while playing the harp. Cupid looks like he has either just kissed Venus on the lips, or is going to, and she is looking at him with a slight expression of incredulity - is this motherly love, or has Cupid just told her who she has fallen in love with?
The figure is made with exceptional class, care and detail; not only the figures, their facial expressions, their hands and feet; but also the shell bobbing in the frothy waves and the little mermaids with their harps.
The group is unmarked, which is not uncommon for that era. We know from documentation that this design was brought out in 1861.
Condition report: The group is in perfect antique condition except a few very light scrapes to the wings of cupid and the tails of the mermaids - otherwise there is no wear, damage or any other blemish.
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: 23 x 19cm (9" x 7.5") and 24cm (9.5") high.
- Creator:Minton (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)Depth: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)
- Style:Victorian (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1861
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In perfect antique condition without any damage, repairs or wear other than some minor scrapes to the wings of Cupid and the tails of the mermaids.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
About the Seller
5.0
Gold Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are highly rated and consistently exceed customer expectations.
Established in 2016
1stDibs seller since 2019
207 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Tenbury Wells, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Minton Pair of Tazzas, White Parian Porcelain Cherubs Hunting, Victorian ca 1880By MintonLocated in London, GBThis is a spectacular pair of tazzas or comports made by Minton in about 1880, which was the Victorian era. The stems of the tazzas hold three white Par...Category
Antique 1780s English Victorian Centerpieces
MaterialsPorcelain
- Minton Porcelain Plate, Sea Shells by W. Mussill, Victorian, 1891By MintonLocated in London, GBThis is a rare and beautiful plate made by Minton in 1891 and painted by the famous porcelain artist Wenceslas (William) Mussill. The plate has an aquatic scene with sea shells in th...Category
Antique 1890s English Victorian Dinner Plates
MaterialsPorcelain
- Minton Porcelain Dessert Service, Turquoise, Equestrian Horses, Victorian, 1871By MintonLocated in London, GBThis is a beautiful dessert service made by Minton in 1871, consisting of two high comports, four low comports, and ten plates. All items have a white ground with a bright turquoise ...Category
Antique 1870s English Victorian Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Minton Pair of White Biscuit Figures of Gardener and Lady, ca 1835By MintonLocated in London, GBThis is a very charming pair of white biscuit figures made by Minton in around 1835. The pair is actually a near-pair: the gentleman is a gardener with a basket of fruit, the lady ha...Category
Antique 1830s English Victorian Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- White Parian Figures, L'Enfant Lisant et L'Enfant Écrivant, after Lemire 19thCBy MintonLocated in London, GBOn offer is a superb pair of white parian figures, probably English and made in Staffordshire in the late 19th Century. The figures are after a pair of bronze models created by Charl...Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Bow Porcelain Figure of Venus with Doves, Rococo, 1756-1764By Bow PorcelainLocated in London, GBThis is a rare and beautiful figure of Venus with two doves, made by the bow porcelain factory between 1756 and 1764. We see Venus standing holding her robe with one hand, a flower p...Category
Antique 1760s English Rococo Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
You May Also Like
- Minton Antique Blanc de Chine Porcelain Figural CentrepieceBy MintonLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireA fine antique Minton porcelain blanc de chine centrepiece with a young maiden with a basket dating from around 1862. The centrepiece stands o...Category
Antique 1860s English Victorian Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique German porcelain group of Venus with Cupid by MeissenBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in London, GBAntique German porcelain group of Venus with Cupid by Meissen German, c. 1750 Height 20.5cm, width 11cm, depth 12cm This charming Meissen porce...Category
Antique Mid-18th Century German Rococo Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Fred Cooke for Minton Art Deco Pierrette Porcelain FigurineBy MintonLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireA rare Minton Art Deco porcelain figurine titled Pierette designed by Fred Cooke and dating from around 1930. This delightful standing figurine stands moun...Category
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Antique Pair of Victorian Parian or Bisque Porcelain Busts of Schiller & GoetheBy Johann Heinrich von Dannecker 1, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Meissen PorcelainLocated in Philadelphia, PAA fine pair of Cabinet sized busts. In parian or bisque porcelain. Depicting Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang Goethe, two of the most revered figures in German literature. The Schiller bust is modeled after the Johann Heinrich Dannecker's famous Neoclassical bust. The Goethe bust...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Busts
MaterialsPorcelain
- Minton Neoclassical Figural Candlesticks with Parian FacesBy MintonLocated in Great Barrington, MAThis is pair of museum-quality Minton hard paste porcelain candlesticks with hand painted cobalt enamel embellishment. The raised portions are gilded with both bright gold and "Flore...Category
Antique 19th Century English Candle Holders
MaterialsEnamel
- 19th Century, Pair of French Porcelain Sculptures Depicting Cupid and PsycheLocated in IT19th century, pair of French polychrome porcelain sculptures depicting cupid and psyche The delicious sculptures, made of hand-painted porcelain in polychrome, in Strasbourg in th...Category
Antique 19th Century French Baroque Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Antique Glazing Furniture
Chinese Antique British Furniture
Fine Antique English Porcelain
Victorian English Porcelain
Vintage Victorian Era
Celadon Blue
Victorian House I I
Antique Minton Porcelain
Celadon And Blue
Antique Decorative Tiles
Antique Decorative Tile
19th Century Celadon
Victorian Wings
Venus And Love
Spode Chinese
Spode China
Vintage Celadon
Minton English