Derby figure of ‘Summer’, seated boy with wheat, earliest version c. 1760

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Rare early Derby figure of ‘Summer’, depicted as a boy seated on a stump, scattered with turquoise-painted flowers, a diadem of wheat on his head & stalks in his hands, dressed in a pink coat and red pants.

Circa 1760

12 cm h

Condition: minor losses only, ie wheat in hands.

ref. Bradshaw p72 for D21 “Spring and Summer”, two ‘Pale-Family’ figures from c.1756-59. He illustrates the boy, the only difference being the scroll base on our example has replaced the flat disk of the earliest version. This is a rarely seen step in the evolution of Derby figure bases, from flat slabs in the earliest to the emergence of rococo scroll moulding, followed quickly by raised scroll feet and pierced rococo work. This figure is also not a ‘pale family’ type, but was made shortly after, being the link between the earliest style and the next more commonly seen style of rococo Derby figures.

The other interesting point to note is the illustrated example is missing its right hand; Bradshaw describes him as wearing a ‘diadem of corn-storks’, and ‘holding… corn’ – although his illustrated example is missing the corn/wheat.  This example retains his ‘Summer’ attribute.

This ‘Four Seasons’ set continues to evolve, with E76 and No.61 being the same basic poses, but completely refined in the modelling and with updated high-rococo scroll bases. There’s also the apparent change to an all-female set in the later No.61 figures.

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