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	Summer Allegory. Meissen porcelain. 1767
	Summer Allegory. Meissen porcelain. 1767 Height: 28 cm. MKH 6007 Literature: Hans Sonntag: Meissen - Porcelæn gennem tre århundreder. 2000   This lovely statuette of a woman with casually bared breast was created during a time when only a few Europeans had access to genuine porcelain. Porcelain was a highly desired import item from the Far East, until the chemist at the court of August the Strong, Electoral Prince of Saxony, managed to create a porcelain that was refined enough to measure up the treasures of Japan and China.   The invention of European porcelain was a major triumph for August the Strong. When he announced in 1710 that he had established a porcelain factory in Meissen, much of Europe's royalty had reason to envy him. Industrial secrets are not a modern invention, and August the Strong tried hard to prevent others from acquiring the expertise possessed by the Meissen factory. Not even August's second cousin, King Frederik IV of Denmark, who visited the electoral prince the year before the factory was officially opened, knew anything about the porcelain. Frederik IV was, however, one of the royal personages who graciously accepted gifts of porcelain from August, and the kings of Denmark had no choice but to import their porcelain from Meissen until the Royal Copenhagen porcelain factory was established in 1775.   The title of this statuette, Summer Allegory, is typical of the age during which the piece was produced. Like most eighteenth-century porcelain figurines, the statuette was intended to serve as a table decoration at sumptuous royal banquets. Centrepieces and statuettes were not only meant to be pleasing to the eye, but also to contribute to the intellectual amusements provided at the banquet. These decorations were usually arranged around allegorical or mythological themes, which required the guests to make use of their education to interpret them correctly. The fact that rather erotic portrayals of female figures were included in the expensive decorations could hardly have made the conversation among the banquet guests less intoxicating!   This statuette is part of a series of four figurines that personify the seasons as voluptuous women, who appeal to the viewer without appearing to be aware of their sexual attractiveness. The figurine was created by one of Meissen's famous modellers, Peter Reinecke (1715-68). Reinecke was trained by the court sculptor Johann Joachim Kaendler, who served as factory director for many years. Kaendler is considered to be one of the greatest exponents of European porcelain art, and the work of his artists has rarely been surpassed. The radiance of the enraptured woman - revealed and yet veiled - was entirely legitimate as an allegorical theme during the period. Today, most viewers simply make do with enjoying her delightfulness and the superb skill and artistry of the porcelain-maker, which are evident in both the design and the decoration of the figurine.