Figures Depicting the Four Seasons

c. 1775

Figures Depicting the Four Seasons, c. 1775. Bristol Porcelain Factory (British, 1770–81). Hard-paste porcelain; part 1: 28.4 x 16.2 x 13.7 cm (11 3/16 x 6 3/8 x 5 3/8 in.); part 2: 27 x 14.5 x 9.4 cm (10 5/8 x 5 11/16 x 3 11/16 in.); part 3: 27 x 15.9 x 11.7 cm (10 5/8 x 6 1/4 x 4 5/8 in.); part 4: 27.2 x 13 x 11.5 cm (10 11/16 x 5 1/8 x 4 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Mary Warden Harkness 1917.611 In this group depicting the four seasons, a young boy in ice skates represents winter; a young lady adorns her hair with flowers in spring; a young man guards his beehive in summer; and a girl gathers fruit in autumn. Allegorical figures most often decorated a table during the dessert course, providing amusing subjects for conversation.