Pair of Black Basalt Reclining Figures, Cleopatra and Lucretia, Neale circa 1780

Exceptionally rare early figure of Bacchus in black basalt. The mixed-case mark places this figure between 1780 and 1785. He is portrayed in typical style, his head garlanded with grapes and with a wine cup to his lips. Bacchus, also known as Dionysus in Greek mythology, is the enigmatic god of wine, fertility, and ritual madness. He symbolizes freedom, ecstasy, and the blurring of societal norms through his rituals and festivities. Bacchus is often depicted in myths as a deity who challenges the status quo, promoting an atmosphere where conventional rules do not apply, and his followers are liberated from their everyday constraints. Born from Zeus and the mortal Semele, Bacchus is unique among gods, bridging the divide between the divine and the human. His followers included the wild and ecstatic maenads, female devotees who often reached states of divine frenzy, and the satyrs, mischievous half-man, half-goat beings. The worship of Bacchus was marked by theatrical processions, dances, and plays, reflecting his patronage of the theater and the dramatic arts. Bacchus’s mythology...

A fine teapot with D-shape handle and a peculiar finial in the form of a widow without her barrel & cruze. The finial confirms the Turner attribution.

The Neale & Co. puce-colored shell-edge plates are each decorated in a purple transfer with figures in the foreground amongst a landscape of Classic ruins. The rims, also with a feathered puce (purple) border, are highlighted with unusually strong remnants of the original gilding. Each is impressed with the Neale & Co. mark on the reverse. Marks: The impressed Neale & Co. mark was only used between 1778 and 1795. Reference: Neale Pottery & Porcelain: Its Predecessors and Successors 1763-1820, Diana Edwards, page 126, #100 for a large stand...

Pair of diminutive red Staffordshire Spaniels, circa 1860, Each one exceptionally painted with expressive faces.