Meissen, model by Peter Reinicke, 1753/54; moulded and decorated shortly thereafter
Height: 13.6 cm; crossed swords mark on the reverse of the base
Impressed number “28” — corresponding to the Huet preparatory drawing: “No. 28 CH – a cook plucking a rooster – No. 18 1753 – Cuisinier qui plume une poularde.”
The figure forms part of the 34-piece Cris de Paris series created by Peter Reinicke in 1753/54 on commission from the Parisian dealer Christophe Huet. The models are based on watercolour design drawings—dated and inscribed—which are still preserved in the Meissen manufactory archives and were first published almost in their entirety in 1992 by Günther Reinheckel (Weltkunst, no. 9).
The description of the cook reads as follows (Reinheckel, p. 1165, no. 13a):
“No. 28 CH – a cook plucking a rooster – No. 18 1753 – Cuisinier qui plume une poularde.”
Comparative examples:
The most recent and comprehensive discussion of the Cris de Paris series is provided by Vanessa Sigalas in the catalogue of the Shimmerman Collection (p. 266).
