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Figure of a huntsman

Figure of a Huntsman
Biscuit porcelain (hard paste)
c. 1789-1797
Figure of a huntsman
Figure of a Huntsman
Biscuit porcelain (hard paste)
c. 1789-1797
Figure of a Huntsman Biscuit porcelain (hard paste) c. 1789-1797
Status
Not on view
Label Text

The smooth surfaces of unglazed biscuit porcelain mimic the purity of classical sculpture and made it a fashionable choice for table ornaments in the second half of the eighteenth century. When set atop glittering, mirrored plateaux amid flowers and candelabra, such figures created a fantastic, mythical tableau. George Washington may have purchased this figure during the last weeks of his presidency for use in the "New Room" at Mount Vernon. Pausing after the pursuit, the huntsman may have represented autumn as a part of a larger set of allegorical figures.

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Date1789-1797
Geography Possibly made - France
DimensionsOverall: 7 in. (17.78 cm)
Credit LinePurchase, 1985
Object numberW-2316
DescriptionBiscuit porcelain figure of a huntsman; he stands contrapposto against a stump; with his right hand, he holds the muzzle of his musket that he has set on the ground; his left hand is raised and holds a powder horn or flask; he wears a plumed hat, greatcoat, waistcoat, breeches, and leggings; a bag, containing a hare he has caught, is strapped over his left shoulder.
Published ReferencesSusan Gray Detweiler, George Washington's Chinaware (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1982), 105, 118.

William Armstrong, "Some New Washington Relics. I. From the Collection of Mrs. B.W. Kennon," The Century Magazine 40/1 (May 1890): 21.
Mount Vernon's object research is ongoing and information about this object is subject to change. For information on image use and reproductions, click here.
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