PORCELAIN FIGURE-CONTAINER MONKEY AS NAPOLEON. THURINGIA, GERMANY. LATE 19TH TO EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

An original porcelain figure-container depicting a monkey dressed as Emperor Napoleon I, produced by one of the Thuringian porcelain manufactories in Germany during the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. The character is portrayed wearing the iconic bicorne hat, a dark military coat with red lapels and boots. On its back is an open woven basket forming a small decorative container intended for a floral arrangement, dried flowers or the storage of small objects.

The composition is based on the striking contrast between the official iconography of Napoleon and the natural posture of the animal, continuing the European tradition of singerie, in which monkeys were represented in human roles to create witty allegories and satirical scenes. Such works enjoyed considerable popularity in Historicist interiors as decorative yet functional objects. The finely executed hand-painted polychrome decoration, carefully modelled costume and realistically rendered basket demonstrate the high quality of workmanship. In its artistic conception, the piece is closely related to the production of Thuringian porcelain manufactories such as Sitzendorf, Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellanmanufaktur, Ernst Bohne Söhne and Conta & Boehme, renowned for their genre and satirical cabinet porcelain.

Dimensions: Height: 12 cm. Width: 12 cm.

Condition: Good condition with natural signs of age and use consistent with the period.