TWO 18th-CENTURY SAINT-CLOUD PORCELAIN STATUETTES, circa 1740 Representing a couple of characters from the Commedia delle'Arte, perhaps Mezzetin and Colombine, he playing an instrument, she singing and holding a score, with Kakiemon décor au naturel, on rocky bases applied with flowers in relief, he with the upper part of his instrument; restorations, small chips H. 24 and 25.5 cm (9 ½ and 10 in.) Provenance: Galerie Lefebvre, Paris ; Christie's New York sale, The Elizabeth Parke Firestone collection, 21-22 March 1991, lot 30. Bibliography : R. Berges, "The Elizabeth Park Firestone Collection of Chantilly Porcelain", The Connoisseur, August 1969, Pl.7. Exhibition: Musée de Saint-Cloud, Il y a 300 ans, La porcelaine à Saint-Cloud, Une entreprise pionnière sur les bords de la Seine, Saint-Cloud, 1997, p.63, n.139. Two Saint-Cloud porcelain figures, 18th century, circa 1740 Probably inspired by figures by Watteau, these statuettes, particularly that of the young man with its very high base in two sections, illustrate the difficulties faced by French manufacturers in the production of soft porcelain in the mid-18th century. The cost and rarity of these pieces meant that they were kept as remarkable pieces, even if the shapes had to be adapted in view of the unpredictable results obtained during firing.