A rare Minton Parian group “Child’s Play” by John Bell

A charming and rare early Parian group sculpted by John Bell for Minton portraying mother and child, the mother sitting on the ground while the child embraces her from behind her right shoulder. There are flowers scattered in the foreground.  The underside bears the Minton ermine mark, a workman’s mark and the numbers 1/49 giving the date of manufacture as January 1849.  “John Bell” is impressed on the rear corner near the child. The body is whiter and denser than later Minton Parian. The group is illustrated (from the Minton factory list) on page 104 of The Parian Phenomenon, fig 285 where it is identified as shape 214. 

Size: The base is c. 28cm (11”) wide  and the height is c. 23cm  (9”).

Condition

The piece is in very good condition. The two figures are in excellent condition. There is a firing line between the woman’s right thigh and her apparel, and multiple losses to the flowers in the foreground. At the rear of the figure there is a little rust coloured staining to the woman’s right foot and cloth.