This Orientalist porcelain figure of a Sultan was made by the Gardner Factory of Moscow in the first quarter of the 19th century. The underside of the base has the incised Gardner “G” from this period.
It was once mounted to something. You can tell this from the underside of the foot. The centre section with the oval hole is there to accommodate the bolt that once held it in place.
The function of the small hole in turban is a mystery to me. This figure is too big and heavy to be a scent bottle, especially if it were bolted down. A bit over the top for a quill holder too. There may once have been a fitted stopper. If there were, then the stopper was not fired in place as the interior of the hole is glazed. Maybe this is a novel venting hole, there only to let the escaping gasses release in the firing. I may never know. At any rate, this mysterious hole makes this a container of some kind, if only in the conceptual sense.
A challenging and complex form from a mould making standpoint. The area inside the folds of the cloak is all undercut. My count is at least eleven separately moulded parts involved in the assembly of this figure.
I especially like the way the beard has been rendered in the enamels. First there was a layer of stippled black and grey to convey stubble. Then that was scratched through and brushed over to represent the longer hairs.
What is he pointing at? Another mystery.
An impressive 36 cm in height.
As always, research ongoing.
