Cymon and Iphigenia
These figures portray Cymon and his beloved, Iphigenia. In 1700, John Dryden published their story as a poem in his Fables, Ancient and Modern. The tale has ancient roots for Cymon is the hero of The Decameron, a novella by Giovanni Boccaccio written in around 1350. The narrative tells that Cymon’s aristocratic father considers him a dolt and sends him to live and work with his slaves in the countryside. In this environment, Cymon becomes increasingly coarse. One day, he comes upon highborn Iphigenia, slumbering in a field. He is so smitten by her beauty that his noble bearing surfaces, and his father reinstates him. Iphigenia is promised to another, but this tale of wars and abduction in the name of love ends happily with Cymon and Iphigenia united for life.
Ralph Wood introduced these figure models into the Potteries in the 1780s. Shortly after, Ralph Wedgwood, a plagiarist extraordinaire, copied them, apparently using the same molds. This pair, titled SIMON and IPHIGENIA in a manner that is typical of Wedgwood, was made circa 1795. The figures have an impressive presence, with Simon standing 9.5 inches tall.
More Figures of the month
Richard Cobden
This is a rare Staffordshire figure of Richard Cobden, the English politician, economist, and leader of the effort to abolish the Corn Laws in 1846.
Rare pair of camel figures
This is a rare, mirror image pair of Staffordshire camel figures. They are generally believed to represent Lady Hester Stanhope and her personal physician and companion Dr. Charles Lewis Meryon, though this attribution is not certain.
Pair of standing lions
This is a fine pair of Staffordshire lions standing on coloured bases. Each lion is approximately 10” tall and dates to about 1860. These figures may be found in Harding’s Book Two, page 259.
Rare figure of Victorian card playing
At first glance, this may appear to be an ordinary arbour figure. But upon closer inspection, one can see these three people are engaged in a game of cards.
George Washington and Zachary Taylor
This is a very rare pair of figures portraying George Washington and Zachary Taylor. They stand approximately 9” and 9.1″ tall, and date to approximately 1850.
Tam O’Shanter and John Gilpin
This is a very rare pair of figures portraying Tam O’Shanter and John Gilpin. They stand approximately 8.6″ and 9.0″ tall, and date to approximately 1845.
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