Antique Nymphenburg Porcelain Putto Figurine Franz Anton Bustelli 18th c

$295.00

Brand Etsy

This is a rare Nymphenburg porcelain figurine, originally modelled by Franz Anton Bustelli circa 1760. Bustelli modelled a number of putto figurines portraying Ovidian gods - I believe that this one is supposed to represent Saturn. There is a very similar, although not identical, example in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The base is impressed with the Nymphenburg shield both on the top and underside and with the numbers 95 and 2 stamped and /II incised on the underside - the Nymphenburg shield is the earliest version, first used in 1754, but also used later. The figurine measures 4 3/8 in height, small but beautifully modelled and painted. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, repairs or wear, but there are two issues that I must mention. There is a peppering of black specks in the glaze - these are actually iron particles that were part of the glaze composition, that over time have oxidized and risen to the surface. These are not considered defects and are an indication of the age of the figurine. The other issue is that the base is not completely flat, so will teeter from one side to the next when moved, but this shouldnt bother anyone, and again, is, I believe, a sign of the age of this jewel of a figurine. I know that Nymphenburg produced some figures for a prolonged period of time, but the general appearance of this one says 18th century to me, perhaps early 19th century at the latest, however I cant be sure. This is a quality Nymphenburg figurine - lovely display porcelain!