TURTLE AS A BUTTER DISH Fulda, circa 1750, attributed to.

TURTLE AS A BUTTER DISH

Fulda, circa 1750, attributed to.
Faience decorated in high-temperature colors. Naturalistically modelled, the removable carapace forming the cover. The crackled greyish glaze painted in manganese, black (manganese) and yellow, the neck with manganese-outlined scale decoration highlighted in yellow. The underside with a square reserve, decorated, like the domed carapace, in yellow and manganese along the divisions of the shell. Unmarked.
L 25 cm, H 7.5 cm, W 11.5 cm.

Provenance:
- Baron von der Tann, Tann Castle (Court Marshal of Fulda).
- Ernst Kramer, Fulda; acquired from the above in 1970 (according to correspondence).
- Peter Ducret Collection, Kilchberg.

Exhibited:
Gregor K. Stasch: Made in FD. Spitzentechnologie aus der Fuldaer Fayencemanufaktur (1741-1759), Museum Vonderau Fulda 2015. Exhibition catalog, no. 154. (no illustration)

This popular animal model formed part of the repertoire of numerous manufactories in the 18th century, ranging from large and important establishments to small faience factories, from Strasbourg in France to Friedberg in southern Germany (cf. lot 1150).

The frequent absence of marks has made it difficult to localize some of these models, resulting in changing attributions in the specialist literature and auction catalogues.
P. Ducret attributed the present turtle to the Fulda manufactory. The tureen was formerly owned by the Barons von der Tann of Fulda and eventually passed into Ducret’s possession through the Fulda specialist Ernst Kramer. In regular correspondence with P. Ducret, Kramer argued in favor of an attribution to Fulda, particularly because the Barons von der Tann were among the prominent noble families of Fulda and provided the court marshal at the Prince-Bishop’s court during the 18th century.

The following comparable models supported Ducret’s attribution to Fulda: Pflueger Collection, New York (Morley Fletcher II 1993, p. 154); Museum Frankfurt (exh. cat. Frankfurt 1963, p. 19); Museum Schloss Höchstädt (inv. no. HöS.K0019), now attributed to Durlach.
The Fulda faience manufactory archives were largely destroyed in the 19th century in connection with repeated changes of government, with the result that only a few annual volumes of the factory accounts have survived, making archival research particularly difficult. The volume for 1750, however, apparently survives. A turtle was certainly included in Fulda’s repertoire of forms, as confirmed by the records of figural production for that year: among the objects listed in the production records were "1 Schilkrot" for a "fremden Mann aus dem Hannoverschen" (a gentleman from Hanover) and "2 Schillkroten" for a Hofrat von Münster of Fulda. Of particular interest is the contemporary mention of a "grossen extra feinen Theetisches" (large, exceptionally fine tea table) for Geheimrat von und zu der Tann - the first owner of the Ducret turtle (archival information from correspondence between Peter Ducret and Ernst Kramer of Fulda, 1977).

Close comparison with the Schrezheim models reveals strong similarities. These models also frequently bear marks: Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart (Nagel, no. 307); Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich (inv. no. 34/540 a-b); Antiquités Ségal, Basel (Ducret 1962, no. 177); Fischer-Böhler, Munich ("Schloss Jegenstorf" exhibition 1952, fig. 7); Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg ("Augenlust und Gaumenfreude" 1998, no. 21, unmarked).