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Source Description
Porcelain figurines decorated the tabletops and living spaces of wealthy Europeans. Though seen in three-dimensions, their inspiration was often drawn from two-dimensional print sources. Swathed in flowers, this figure group depicts Cretan princess Ariadne pouring a drink for the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. Their pose and surrounding scenery was based on an etching by French engraver Jacques Philippe le Bas.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
124734
label
Figure Group of Bacchus and Ariadne
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
124734
contentType
object
title
Figure Group of Bacchus and Ariadne
description
Porcelain figurines decorated the tabletops and living spaces of wealthy Europeans. Though seen in three-dimensions, their inspiration was often drawn from two-dimensional print sources. Swathed in flowers, this figure group depicts Cretan princess Ariadne pouring a drink for the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. Their pose and surrounding scenery was based on an etching by French engraver Jacques Philippe le Bas.
date
c. 1759
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60758340
creators
451823
genreSpecific
Ceramic
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 25.4 x 18.8 x 16.9 cm (10 x 7 3/8 x 6 5/8 in.)
cul
Germany, mid-18th century
accession
1946.221
Source extras
tec
soft-paste porcelain
tombstone
Figure Group of Bacchus and Ariadne, c. 1759. Orléans Porcelain Factory. Soft-paste porcelain; overall: 25.4 x 18.8 x 16.9 cm (10 x 7 3/8 x 6 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of A. & R. Ball, 1946.221
collection
Decorative Arts
didYouKnow
This object’s molding and all-white design is characteristic of blanc de chine, the French term referencing the highly prized porcelain produced in the southeastern Fujian province of Dehua, China, known for its pure color and high degree of translucence.
citations
citation
Foote, Helen. "Bacchus and Venus, a Soft-Paste Figure." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art </em>35, no. 1 (January 1948): 7-9.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 8; Reproduced: p. 11
citation
Froissart, Cyrille. "The Orleans Porcelain Manufactory: Its Production of Soft Paste Groups and Figures."<em> The French Porcelain Society Journal</em> 2 (2005): 47-93.
page_number
p. 68-69
creditline
Gift of A. & R. Ball
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:25:58.891000
sourceId
124734
dept
Decorative Art and Design
coll
Decorative Arts
med
soft-paste porcelain
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
2e8417b0fd19749c