A Hochst porcelain group of Der Berkrantze Schlafer, c.1770, blue wheel mark, modelled by J.P. Melchior, with a sleeping farm boy, a dog beside him and a shepherdess leaning over him to garland his head with flowers, her hoe and satchel nearby, a...

A Hochst porcelain group of Der Berkrantze Schlafer, c.1770, blue wheel mark, modelled by J.P. Melchior, with a sleeping farm boy, a dog beside him and a shepherdess leaning over him to garland his head with flowers, her hoe and satchel nearby, a plinth with an urn behind them, on a rocky grassy mound base, 17cm high Provenance: Works of Art from the Schroder Collection. Note: Another example is illustrated by Horst Reber, “Hochster Porzellan des 18. Jahrhunderts aus Privatbesitz”, Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst December 1984 – January 1985 Exhibition Catalogue, Frankfurt, 1984, p. 116.
Overall, the condition for this lot is good. The principal condition issue is a chip to the footrim on the right-hand side of the group – this is relatively small (approximately 4mm. x 14mm). All the remaining issues are very small and minor. There are further very slight and very minor chips to the edge of the footrim. There is a minute chip to the corner of the plinth at the reverse, and another to the reverse edge of the plinth – these are both very small (the largest is 2mm x 2mm). On the garland there are small losses to a flower and the foliage – these are extremely slight and difficult to see. There are small losses to the ribbons and to foliage of the vase (on top of the plinth) – all these are to be expected.