A Minton Parian figure of Lalage

A beautiful Minton Parian figure of Lalage, shown seated on a rock with a wreath of flowers over her arm, her hands clasped around her knee, from the sculpture by John Bell. A lizard is running up the rock. The original marble statue was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1856 and the Parian version at the 1862 International Exhibition. Marked Minton. “John Bell” is inscribed at the rear.  A scroll, perhaps inscribed with one of Horace’s poems, is thrust into the top of her gown.

The figure is illustrated on page 90 of The Parian Phenomenon, fig 145.

Lalage was the muse of the Roman poet Horace (1^st Century BC) who professed his love in the ode ‘Integer vitae’: 

'set me down in a land denied habitation,
where the sun’s chariot rumbles too near the earth:
I’ll still be in love with my sweetly laughing,
sweet talking Lalage'

Height 41cm (16”)

Condition: This figure is in excellent condition apart from some slight roughness at the right back corner of the base. The wreath is in rare exceptional condition with all flowers appearing to be present with just a few little nips.