Antique Derby porcelain putti figures with flower baskets c.1780

This charming pair of small putto figures is a fine example of early Derby porcelain, dating to around 1780. Standing approximately 12 cm high, each nude putto is modelled standing on a grassy, mound‑shaped base, the surfaces washed in a bright apple‑green enamel typical of late‑18th‑century Derby colour palettes. The figures are closely paired but not absolutely identical, reflecting hand modelling rather than press‑moulded repetition. Each child holds a yellow basket brimming with applied flowers and foliage, while further small scattered blossoms decorate the base and the leafy support behind the legs.

The putti wear pink drapery modestly wrapped around the hips, and elaborate floral wreaths encircle their heads. These wreaths are composed of individually applied leaves and flower heads, picked out in green, blue, red and yellow enamels, demonstrating the painstaking decorative work of the Derby factory’s flower makers. The hair is painted in warm ochre and brown tones, while the facial features are executed in underglaze black and iron‑red, giving the figures an engaging, slightly naïve expression characteristic of Derby’s earlier rococo period.

The modelling and palette relate closely to known Derby figures of the Seasons and various pastoral subjects from the third quarter of the 18th century. The soft paste porcelain body, visible to the unglazed underside, has the slightly creamy tone and open base venting associated with Derby production of this date. No factory marks are visible on the images of the bases, which is not unusual for smaller Derby figures of the period, many of which were left unmarked.

Condition appears generally good for such early figures. There is typical minor wear to the high points of the enamels, especially on the green bases and the extremities such as toes and the applied flowers. Some small chips and expected fritting can be seen to the flower heads and leaves, and there may be minor glaze losses at the footrim edges where the bases have been in contact with surfaces over more than two centuries. Importantly, there is no obvious evidence of major structural damage or overpainting in the photographs, and both figures retain their baskets and the majority of their delicate floral ornament.

These putti would originally have been part of the fashionable taste for rococo table and mantelpiece decoration, perhaps grouped with other Derby figures or candelabra to form a playful, allegorical display. Today they offer collectors an appealing, manageable‑sized example of 18th‑century English porcelain sculpture. Their small scale, good state of preservation and clearly period enamel palette make them particularly suitable for cabinet display, where light can pick out the glossy glaze and colourful flowers. The pair’s evident originality as a matching left‑ and right‑hand model adds to their desirability for collectors of Derby and of English figure porcelain more broadly.

Whether used to complement a wider collection of Derby figures or as a standalone decorative accent, this pair encapsulates the charm of late‑Georgian English taste: playful classical imagery, lively rococo bases and a joyous profusion of hand‑applied flowers, all executed in the refined soft‑paste porcelain body for which the Derby factory is so highly regarded.