Deux statuettes blanches napolitaines, Real Fabbrica Ferdinandea, représentant une dame et un gentilhomme du Real Passaggio, fin du XVIIIe siècle

Two Naples, Real Fabbrica Ferdinandea, white figures of a lady and gentleman from the Real Passaggio, late 18th century

Crisply moulded, the lady holding a hand-warmer, wearing an elaborate bonnet, long dress and cape, the gentleman holding a glass to his eye, wearing a large wig, long coat and boots, 17.5cm high the lady with crowned N mark in blue (2)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Italian Private Collection

Angela Caròla-Perrotti writes (Ritorno al Barocco (2010), p.320) that from 1792, a very elaborate table setting was designed to accompany the Servizio delle Vedute Napolitane, also known as the Servizio del'Oca. The factory created a kind of miniature park, called the Real Passagio, which included figures from the Neapolitan bourgeoisie and nobility. According to one document, this included seventy-five figures dressed in the fashions of the day and described in the factory as bernesche because of the gently satirical way in which they were portrayed. The models for these figures would have originally been made for this service, and they became one of the most popular lines of production for the factory in the late 18th century.

In good condition.