Description
This allegorical figure depicts a shepherdess dressed in richly patterned garments. Here the figure (Matrimony) holds a birdcage in one hand and subtly directs the viewer’s gaze toward the sheep resting nearby with the other. An accompanying figure, a shepherd (Liberty) is joined by a dog and a bird that perches on his outstretched arm.
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-)
Accession Number
1917.627.1
Medium
soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Overall: 31.1 x 25.7 x 15.6 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/8 x 6 1/8 in.)
Classification
Ceramic
Credit Line
Bequest of Mary Warden Harkness