Pair of Candelabra Depicting Allegorical Figures of Liberty and Matrimony

c. 1775

Pair of Candelabra Depicting Allegorical Figures of Liberty and Matrimony, c. 1775. Derby Porcelain Factory (Chelsea-Derby Period, 1770–84). Soft-paste porcelain; part 1: 31.1 x 25.7 x 15.6 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/8 x 6 1/8 in.); part 2: 32.4 x 25.6 x 14.2 cm (12 3/4 x 10 1/16 x 5 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Mary Warden Harkness 1917.627 This pair of allegorical figures depicts the attributes of solitude and marriage as a shepherd and shepherdess adorned in richly patterned designs. Here “Liberty” (the shepherd), is accompanied by a dog and a bird that perches on his outstretched arm. In contrast “Matrimony” (the shepherdess) holds a birdcage in one hand and subtly directs the viewer’s gaze toward the sheep resting nearby with the other. The canopy of foliage surrounding these figures was inspired by the arbors popular in theatrical stage designs during the mid-1700s.