•D2052. Pair of Polychrome Milking Groups

Delft, circa 1770

Each cow with a blue-spotted hide, a blue muzzle, ears, forelock, eyes, spine and tail, yellow horns, manganese hooves and an iron-red lapping tongue, wearing garlands of colorful flowers around its neck and back, and modeled affronté while being milked by a lad wearing manganese tricorn hat, a blue jacket with yellow collar and manganese breeches and shoes, or by a maid wearing a manganese hat, a blue bodice and green skirt and manganese shoes, each seated with a pail between his or her feet at the semicircular front of the low green base with the top molded with frogs.

Dimensions
Heights: 16.4 cm. (6.5 in.)

Provenance
Dutch Private Collection

Similar examples
A similar milking group on a low base is illustrated by De Jonge in Delfts Aardewerk, p. 300, pl. 187, and in Delft Ceramics, p. 135, ill. 142. Two other pairs are illustrated in Aronson 2005, p. 50, no. 47 and Aronson 2018, pp. 92-93, no. 56. A pair of these models on a slightly higher base is illustrated by Charleston and Lunsingh Scheurleer, no. 105. Another pair in which both of the milkers are lads was in the Vromen Collection, illustrated by Morley-Fletcher and McIlroy, p. 218, no. 3; and one of those
examples is illustrated in Vrienden van de Nederlandse Ceramiek, 48, pl. 53.