English Pottery Lead-glazed Earthenware Figure of St. George and the Dragon
By Enoch Wood & Sons
Located in Downingtown, PA
English Pottery Tortoise-shell Creamware Figure of St. George Fighting the Dragon,
Staffordshire,
Possibly modelled by Enoch and Ralph Wood,
Late 18th Century.
The earthenware figure depicts St. George and the Dragon. St. George is on horseback with a spear in hand in green and yellow glazes as is the dragon. The base and horse in a mottled tortoise-shell brown glaze. The saint is wearing full armour and modelled seated astride his rearing horse, the dragon writhing on the ground beneath, on an oval rocky mound base. The figure is after a 17th century Francesco Fanelli (active 1608–1661) bronze, about 1635-see below.
Provenance: Heisel Collection (Paper label)
Dimensions: 11 1/4 inches high x 9 inches wide x 5 1/2 inches deep
See: A Passion for Pottery: Further Selections from The Henry H. Weldon Collection, Peter Williams and Pat Halfpenny, Page 307, #209 for a pearlware example which is very similarly modelled attributed to Ralph Wood.
Reference: The Holburne Museum has a very similar Fanelli figure The figure group is inspired by the bronze made by Fanelli c1580-1661, an artist who worked in England during King Charles 1 reign. Records show that small bronzes like these stood on the windowsills of important rooms in Whitehall Palace...
Category
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Creamware Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsCreamware, Pottery