Pair of cornucopias. Carved and gilded wood and porcelain. 18th century. A pair of mirrored cornucopias, virtually identical (except for details on the leaves of the frames), made of carved and gilded wood. Inside, the main mirror features moldings that depict curves and straight lines, scrolls, and other elements. The elaborate decoration of the wall mirrors begins with grotesques at the bottom, from which vegetal motifs emerge and extend, accompanied by hangings, upwards along the sides, with openwork details. Above, the crests feature circular spaces, flanked by birds perched with partially outstretched wings, and surrounded by elaborate frames that, like the rest of the pieces, incorporate architectural elements (volutes, plain oval mirrors, etc.), vegetal motifs, and forms reminiscent of Rococo rockwork. Clearly, these examples fall within the Rococo style, even considering the slight asymmetry in their decorative motifs and the subtle differences between the two examples. Similarities can be found in the design of these cornucopias with various engravings and works by Matthias Lock (London, ca. 1710–ca. 1765). Compare them with engravings from "A New Book of Ornaments with Twelve Leaves Consisting of Chimneys, Sconces, Tables, Spandle Panels, Spring Clock Cases, Stands, a Chandelier and Girandole, etc." (Henry Copland and Matthias Lock; London, 1752), with examples held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, drawings in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and so on. Matthias Locke was the first to publish Rococo designs in England, and is also considered the first to master the Rococo style and incorporate it into his work and designs. Little else is known about his life: he was a pupil of Thomas Chippendale and Adams, perhaps worked with Henry Copeland, and his work evolved from the most elaborate Rococo to the most harmonious Classicism. The small porcelain plates shown above depict a pheasant perched on a rock amidst chrysanthemums and other flowers, a common composition for this type of object. Made in China for export to Europe, these plates lack any particular symbolic meaning (the golden pheasant was a symbol of the Emperor, and the one on this plate does not have yellow in its plumage). Chinese porcelain was already known in Europe in the 15th century, but its commercial boom began in the 16th century, with the renowned Blue and White pieces so highly valued that they even inspired local ceramics in various kingdoms. As for the so-called "Pink Family," named for the predominance of this color in its enameling, it originated with the introduction of pink to China in the early 18th century by the Jesuits and continued to be produced until the 19th century. Furthermore, it became so highly valued that it displaced the Green Family in European courts at times, with works from the reigns of the Yongzheng Emperor (1678-1735) and the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799) being the most abundant and highly prized for their exceptional quality. Stylistically, these two plates set in the mirrors are very similar to works from the Pink Family made at the end of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign or the beginning of the Qianlong Emperor's in Kingdezhen (Jiangxi, Republic of China) around 1735. In fact, there are some plates in private collections depicting pheasants in the same pose and on a stone virtually identical to that of these two examples. Note that you can see the decorated edge of them, almost entirely hidden by the gilded wood.
· Size: 100x68x12 cms.
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