Meissen (1731)

[python_regius]

This figure of a giant macaw on a tree stump is made of white porcelain. The animal was modelled by Johann Gottlob Kirchner at the royal porcelain factory at Meissen. It was here that many large animal sculptures were produced in the 1730s. This particular bird was described as an 'Indianischer Rabe' or raven. The white porcelain is painted in bright colours: blue for the macaw's head; red and yellow for the tail. All kinds of colours have been used for the tree stump and rocks too: reddish brown, green, turquoise, yellow, purple and blue. Because of the difficulties involved in firing a large sculpture like this it is not surprising to find a number of cracks in the porcelain, although some resulted at a later date.
www.rijksmuseum.nl/