1787 - Monkey as Music Director from the Monkey Band - Johann Joachim Kaendler

Monkey as Music Director from the Monkey Band - Johann Joachim Kaendler State Porcelain Manufactory, Meissen 1978. Porcelain, white, glazed. Polychrome and gold painted. Blue sword mark under the glaze. First-class quality. Engraved model no. 60001. Impressed modeler’s no. 85 and year mark Z. H. 18.5 cm. A monkey conductor in a red jacket, depicted in an exuberant pose with his arm raised and a sheet of music, standing on a rocaille-style round pedestal. Designed by Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706–1775) around 1753–1765 in collaboration with Peter Reinicke. The Monkey Orchestra, consisting of 21 figures and a music stand, is one of the most popular examples of Meissen Baroque. The depiction of monkeys—“les singeries,” which parody human behavior—was a particularly popular subject in France. Drawings by the French “singerie” painter Christophe Huet (1694–1759) served as the model for the Meissen ensemble.