Description
This pair of allegorical figures depicts the attributes of solitude and marriage as a shepherd and shepherdess adorned in richly patterned designs. Here “Liberty” (the shepherd), is accompanied by a dog and a bird that perches on his outstretched arm. In contrast “Matrimony” (the shepherdess) holds a birdcage in one hand and subtly directs the viewer’s gaze toward the sheep resting nearby with the other.
Provenance
Mary Warden Harkness [1864-1916], New York, NY, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?-1916); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1917-)
Pair of Candelabra Depicting Allegorical Figures of Liberty and Matrimony
c. 1775
Accession Number
1917.627
Medium
soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Part 1: 31.1 x 25.7 x 15.6 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/8 x 6 1/8 in.); Part 2: 32.4 x 25.6 x 14.2 cm (12 3/4 x 10 1/16 x 5 9/16 in.)
Classification
Ceramic
Credit Line
Bequest of Mary Warden Harkness