Copeland

Copeland Parian Porcelain Bust Duke of Wellington Antique c1852 by Comte d Orsay

Name: Copeland Parian Porcelain Bust Duke of Wellington Antique c1852 by Comte d Orsay
Brand: Copeland
Price: 250.0 GBP
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A fine porcelain portrait bust of the Duke of Wellington made in parian porcelain by Copeland c1852

The bust depicts Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852), a prominent Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman known for defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

This bust is a well-known and highly regarded item in the world of Parian porcelain collecting. The original sculpture was modeled from life sittings in 1851, shortly before the Duke's death in September 1852.

Key Points
Manufacturer: Copeland (W.T. Copeland & Sons), a prominent Staffordshire pottery manufacturer.
Sculptor: The model was created by the French dandy and amateur artist, Comte d'Orsay (Count Alfred Guillaume Gabriel d'Orsay).
Date: The busts were produced in 1852, the year the Duke of Wellington died, with some original models dating to 1846.
Material: The bust is made of Parian ware, a type of unglazed biscuit porcelain developed to imitate the fine white Parian marble used for classical sculpture.
Markings: The reverse of the bust is impressed with "COMTE D'ORSAY Sc 1852" and the "Copeland" manufacturer's mark.
Sizes: The bust was manufactured in at least two sizes, a larger size (around 28-28.5 cm or 11-11.2 inches high) and a smaller size (around 19 cm or 7.5 inches high). This is the larger size.

Comte d'Orsay had taken several sittings with the Duke in 1851 to model the bust. He had initially offered the manufacturing rights to Minton's, another Parian manufacturer, but they refused his terms; Copeland, however, accepted them.

Inspection found the piece to be in very good condition. On very close examination a small chip found to the rear of the base of the bust just below the Copeland mark. There are also small chips to the top of the socle base where is meets the bust. These are shown in image for buyer observation as they are not very obvious neither are they detractable. There are original firing flaws on the rear of neck, collar and front lower jacket otherwise no other condition chips cracks or restoration.