Antique Edme Samson French / English Hunting Figurine

Lovely and colorful porcelain statue of a jauntily dressed English gentleman with his hunting horn and hound. Believed to have been fabricated by the Parisian pottery firm Samson, Edmé et Cie whose gold glaze anchor mark can be found on the lower edge of the back. The piece is highly detailed with delicate features, vibrant hues, and intricate modeling -- the man's hand barely grazing the dog's collar, his pony-talied hair resting on the horn's bell pipe, his bent elbow extending over the horn's windings, the instrument's leadpipe dynamically approaching his pursed lips, the canine's paw arching over the man's extended front foot and its tail encircling the gent's back leg. All details that give great movement and interest to the piece.

The history of the figurine and its maker are also quite compelling. The company, Samson, Edmé et Cie, founded by Edmé Samson in Paris, 1845, created copies of valuable 18thC porcelains originally produced by Meissen, Sèvres, Chelsea, and other prestigious porcelain houses. Samson's intent was to copy the beloved, but very expensive, decorative wares making them accessible to those who could not afford the originals - not to deceive buyers. So fine was their craftsmanship, the firm exhibited at both the International Exposition of 1867 and the Exposition Universelle, 1889. As additional testament to their skill, pieces held (and marks modified) by unscrupulous dealers periodically fooled even the experts who declared them genuine 18thC porcelains.

Dimensions:  3ʺW × 3.5ʺD × 8ʺH.

Excellent antique condition with no chips, no cracks, no crazing; vibrant colors.

Free local pickup; otherwise shipped via economical parcel delivery.