Seated figure

late 18th - early 19th century

Ancient gods inspired this mysterious porcelain figure. His divided corkscrew-styled beard and his headdress in the form of a corn measure come from the Roman god Zeus-Serapis, inspired by the ancient Egyptian god, Serapis. His grimacing mouth comes from another Egyptian god, Bes. This figure served as an exotic desk set. Two pots, one for ink and one for fine sand used to dry the ink, sat on his lap. His headdress held a candle.

Hard paste porcelain

9 11/16 x 7 7/8 x 6 in. (24.61 x 20 x 15.24 cm)

Dorothy Condon Falknor Collection of European Ceramics

87.142.42

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Documents International: Eleven Heads Are Better than One: Sixth Graders Connect with SAM", April 1, 1999 - April 2, 2000

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