75 - An impressive 19th-century Minton majolica life-size figure of a peacock, modelled by Paul Comolera (French, 1818-1897), Mintons shape number 2045, the peacock with tail down, standing on a rock with flowering vines and toadstools, stamped 'Mintons' with date mark for 1876 under the base, 155 cm high, 75 cm wide. Footnote Few Minton creations capture the ambition, artistry and sheer audacity of Victorian majolica quite like this magnificent Minton majolica peacock. Modelled by sculptor Paul Comolera from a live bird after he joined Minton in 1873, the peacock became one of the factory’s most iconic and sought-after productions. Executed in a single piece, this monumental figure was an extraordinary technical achievement, demonstrating both Minton’s mastery of the majolica medium and its willingness to push the boundaries of what could be produced in ceramics. Its imposing scale and naturalistic modelling make it a particularly striking example of the firm’s work. Minton’s celebrated range of majolica wares had been launched under the direction of Léon Arnoux at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The peacock subsequently became a showpiece for Minton on the international exhibition circuit, with examples displayed at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876 and the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1878. Perhaps the most famous surviving example is the celebrated “Loch Ard peacock”. Packed aboard the clipper Loch Ard for an exhibition in Australia, it survived the ship’s disastrous wreck off the Victorian coast on 1 June 1878. Remarkably, when its crate was recovered during salvage operations, the peacock was found intact. It remained for many years in the possession of the Miller family, who were connected with the salvage, and is now displayed at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum. Only twelve examples of this sculpture are currently understood to be known. Other documented survivors are held in distinguished public collections, including the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent; Shuttleworth House, Old Warden; the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, Warrnambool; the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney; and the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The present example is distinguished by its long association with Westbrook House in Elstead, Surrey. The peacock stood in the gardens of the house during the ownership of the shipping magnate Jack Billmeir and his family from 1937 until 1994. Billmeir made his fortune through the Stanhope Shipping Company. During the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War, his ships undertook daring voyages through blocked shipping routes to North Russia and Malta. Billmeir was known to have travelled aboard the ships himself, while members of his crews received a remarkable 63 medals, including 15 Distinguished Service Crosses. Billmeir himself was appointed CBE. It is believed that Billmeir acquired the peacock before the Second World War, and family stories recount that it survived the Blitz while at his London home. During the war, Westbrook House was occupied by the Canadian Military, and Billmeir did not return to the property until 1946. The peacock was subsequently installed in the Rose Garden, where, according to the vendor’s recollection, it was frequently surrounded by live peacocks. Following Billmeir’s death in 1963, the house and peacock passed to his wife, Annie, and subsequently to his brother Eric, as Jack and Annie had no surviving children. Eric Billmeir lived alone at Westbrook House and, sadly, the property was prone to intruders during the early 1990s. On one occasion, the peacock itself was stolen, only to be recovered a short distance away on Hankley Common. It was subsequently taken to Royal Doulton, then the owners of Minton, where, it is understood, restoration was undertaken using the original Minton moulds. No corresponding record of the restoration has, however, been located in the Minton Archive at Stoke-on-Trent. Following Eric Billmeir’s death in 1994, the peacock passed to the vendor’s parents, who had known the Billmeir family well. Cherished as part of their home for many years, it now comes to auction with a provenance that is as remarkable as the object itself. We would like to thank our vendor and Stoke-on-Trent City Archives for their assistance in our research. The figure has been professionally restored by Doulton, as per the description. A fairly clean line can be seen around the reverse side, at the base of the body of the bird, around the top of the base section. There is also possible repair to the neck area. There are some small bits of enamel loss to the base, but it appears generally good. The colours are clean and bright.