Pair of a Turk with a Cup and a Turkish Lady with a Fruit

The Turkish figures were created by Franz Anton Bustelli in 1756 at Neudeck. Archival records confirm that they were fired and placed in storage that same year. Hofmann (Vol. III, 1923, p. 394) lists: "Türkhen und Türkhinen à 12 fl."

In the 1760 inventory of existing “Bossir-Furm” (modeller’s forms), they are described as follows (Hofmann, ibid., p. 395): “A Turk, drinking coffee. A Turkish woman with pineapple.”

In the 1762 price list of white figures, arranged by value, they appear in the 8-florin category (Hofmann, ibid., p. 397).

After Bustelli’s death in 1762, the two single figures were combined by Peter Seefried — the manufactory’s first modeller — into the so-called “Coffee Group” (Hofmann Vol. III, p. 50; Bäuml in Keramos 10/1960, p. 10, fig. 6; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 1974.356.528, The Lesley and Emma Sheafer Collection).

It appears that both the Turkish Lady and the Turk were discontinued as individual figures shortly thereafter. In the 1767 price list, only the Seefried group is listed (Hofmann Vol. III, p. 712): “Turk and Turkish lady at coffee table” priced at 7 gulden / coloured fine ware.

This explains the rarity of these figures (Hofmann Vol. III, p. 429; Rückert Exhibition Catalogue 1963, p. 15). Rückert even assumes that only one coloured example of each figure has survived (ibid.).

Even though his assumption was mistaken, only a few further pairs are known to us:

• Collection of Mrs. Kenneth T. Knobloch (Sotheby’s, 18 October 1955, lot 98)
• Sotheby’s, 25 March 1958, lot 132
• Landesmuseum Zürich, Switzerland
• The Bayerisches Nationalmuseum owns a Turkish Lady (Bustelli Cat. no. 107) and a Turk (Bustelli Cat. no. 109)