Shepherdess with Lamb

Description

• Subject Matter: The inkstand features a pastoral scene of a young woman—likely a shepherdess—seated in a pensive or contemplative pose atop a rocky mound. She rests her head on her left hand, while her right hand holds a small cluster of flowers. A small, white lamb lies peacefully at her feet to the left.
• Costume & Decoration: The figure wears a white bodice with deep magenta or purple straps, and a full white skirt decorated with delicate hand-painted floral “sprigs.” The hem of the skirt features a distinctive blue scroll-work border, a recurring pattern in Conta & Boehme’s repertoire. Her headgear is a bright orange-red peasant-style cap with white cross-bands, another hallmark of this factory’s figural work.
• Functional Components: The front of the base holds two small, textured pots designed to resemble woven baskets or barrels.
  • The Inkwell: The pot on the right holds the ceramic ink liner.
  • The Pounce Pot (Sander): The pot on the left includes a removable perforated lid with nine small holes. This was used for “pounce” (powdered cuttlefish bone or sand) to dry the ink on paper before the advent of blotting paper.
• Base & Markings: The base is an irregular oval decorated in earthy greens and browns to simulate grass and stone. Behind the woman is a dark, rustic fence post. The underside of the piece is hollow and shows the white, vitreous body of hard-paste porcelain. The incised or handwritten number “55.” is a factory mold or model number, which is common for Conta & Boehme pieces from the mid-to-late 19th century.

Origin and Maker: Conta & Boehme

The factory was founded in Pössneck, Thuringia (Germany) in 1790 and became one of the most prolific exporters of porcelain figurines and functional “fairings” (prizes won at fairs) to the United Kingdom and United States during the 19th century.