St James's Toy in the form of a lady sitting in a chair, soft paste porcelain, c.1755

This charming and rare St James's (Charles Gouyn) toy is in the form of a lady sitting in a chair on a mound base. The wicker design on the back of the chair can be seen very clearly, as can the lady's costume, décolleté, and even the flower adorning her hair. The porcelain is greyish-white and the glaze typically greenish. It is most unusual for toys to be left in the white. The top of the lady's head is pierced for mounting. It is precisely such a whimsical subject which would have delighted the Rococo tastes of the fashionable and wealthy of the day.

Unmarked.

The General Advertiser of 29 January 1750-51 acknowledges the Huguenot jeweller, Charles Gouyn, as 'late Proprietor and Chief Manager of the Chelsea-House'. Certainly, Gouyn had been involved with the Chelsea porcelain factory from its foundation, c.1743-45, most likely in a financial capacity, however by 1750, he was established in the fashionable St James's area of London, from where he was retailing porcelain of his own manufacture. Rent documents suggest that the premises and land used for the production of porcelain was situated to the north and west of St James's, in the area known today as Mayfair.

For many years, the factory was referred to simply as the Girl-in-a-Swing, after the porcelain model in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is only in recent years, with the research of Monsieur Dragesco and others, that the factory has been positively associated with Charles Gouyn and St James's.

There are approximately thirty known figures by the St James's factory, most of which are modelled in the white. The factory did produce some useful wares, although these are scarce and not intended for the mass market. But it is the miniature items, the so-called toys, for which the factory is perhaps best-known. These tiny porcelain scent-bottles and fob seals, often richly decorated and mounted in gold were clearly made for wealthy aristocrats to give as gifts and love tokens.

Condition: A couple of minute flat chips to the base, and a minute blob of greenish glaze at the rear of the base. No other damage or restoration.

Dimensions: Height 7/8" (2.2cm)

Chelsea Porcelain, Elizabeth Adams (The British Museum Press, 2001).