{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O82584"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82584/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4125/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH4125/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH4125","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AH4124","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AH4123","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AH4122","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O82584/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O82584","accessionNumber":"C.11-2003","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[{"title":"King Vulture","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This extraordinary sculpture of a vulture is from the porcelain menagerie commissioned by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, for the 'Japanese Palace' in Dresden. This commission is one of the great landmarks in ceramic history. Nearly 600 life-size animals were planned, and at least 458 were made. Work began in 1730, only 20 years after Meissen had become the first European factory to make porcelain in the Chinese manner. \r\n\r\nAugustus had specified that the animals should have their natural colours. Normally, this would be achieved by the use of enamels. However, the factory technicians thought it too risky to subject the largest models to the heat of an enamel firing. Instead they partly painted them in bright, unfired pigments. Such colours rarely survive, as they fade over time and have often been completely removed.\n\nThis King Vulture model exists in three different versions: some crouching, some with head down, and some standing upright. These variations were introduced by the 'repairer' (the skilled craftsman who assembled the separately moulded parts of the model prior to firing), probably in the interest of variety.","physicalDescription":"Sculpture, hard-paste porcelain, painted in unfired colours, of a King Vulture.  The vulture is positioned crouching on an oak tree stump, with head turned slightly to one side. Much of the original colouring has now discoloured, and only traces of the original bright red remain on the head.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Kändler, Johann Joachim","id":"A6734"},"association":{"text":"modeller","id":"AAT25417"},"note":"probably\r\nThe modelling was previously attribute to Johann Gottlieb Kirchner "},{"name":{"text":"Reinow, Christian","id":"A10010"},"association":{"text":"lacquerer","id":"AAT25270"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Shiefer, Andreas","id":"A10011"},"association":{"text":"craftsman","id":"AAT25389"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Meissen porcelain factory","id":"A9173"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Hard-paste porcelain, painted in unfired colours","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Porcelain","id":"THES48907"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2006AH4125","2006AH4124","2006AH4123","2006AH4122"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"3","id":"THES263060"},"free":"","case":"CA15","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sculpture","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Meissen","id":"x35076"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1731","earliest":"1726-01-01","latest":"1735-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund, and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"57.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approximately","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"23","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approximate width of base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Weight approximately 16 Kg","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'X'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"the base bears the 'X' mark of the 'former' (factory craftsman) Andreas Shiefer.","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"the base bears the 'X' mark of the 'former' (factory craftsman) Andreas Shiefer."}],"objectHistory":"Provenance. From the porcelain menagerie commissioned for the 'Japanese Palace', Dresden, by Augustus the Strong (1694/7-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.\r\nBy repute given by a member of the Baring family to John Alexander, 4th Marquess of Bath (1831-1896), Longleat, and thence by descent (recorded in inventories of Longleat in 1869 as 'A white Dresden vulture', and  in 1896 as '21 in. white porcelain vulture on a stump'). Sold Christies, London, 13 June 2002, lot 353.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Sculpture, hard-paste porcelain, painted in unfired colours, of a King Vulture, made at the Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, ca.1731","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Samuel Wittwer, The Gallery of Meissen Animals: Augustus the Strong's Menagerie for the Japanese Palace in Dresden (2006), passim and pp. 357-358."}],"production":"From the porcelain menagerie commissioned for the 'Japanese Palace', Dresden, by Augustus the Strong (1694/7-1733), Elector of Saxony and King of Poland.\r\nProbably modelled by Johann Joachim Kaendler (1706-1776), possibly in collaboration with Johann Gottlieb Kirchner (born 1706); painted in unfired pigments by the Dresden court lacquerer Christian Reinow; the base bears the 'X' mark of the 'former' (factory craftsman) Andreas Shiefer.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Dresden","id":"x28810"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"birds","id":"x35043"},{"text":"vultures","id":"x36691"},{"text":"condors","id":"x36692"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"<b>King Vulture\r\nAbout 1731</b>\n\nThis vulture was part of a porcelain menagerie in one of the Dresden palaces of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. It is one of nearly 600 life-size animal sculptures he commissioned in 1730. Firing porcelain of this size was very hazardous, and many of the surviving animals have prominent firing cracks. To avoid further damage, some, like this one, were painted in colours that did not require high temperatures to fix them.\r\n\r\nGermany (Dresden)\r\nMade at the Meissen factory\r\nModelled by Johann Joachim Kändler\r\nPorcelain, partly painted in unfired pigments\r\nPurchased with the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund, and the Friends of the V&amp;A\n\n<b>Family label for Europe 1600-1815:</b>\n\nThis vulture was made for Augustus the Strong, King of Poland. He loved porcelain so much that he once swapped 600 soldiers and horses for 151 Chinese vases. He had hundreds of life-size porcelain animals like this vulture made for his palace. If you had a palace, what would you fill the rooms with?","date":{"text":"09/12/2015","earliest":"2015-12-09","latest":"2015-12-09"}}],"partNumbers":["C.11-2003"],"accessionNumberNum":"11","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":2003,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN3002","2019LP3756","2019LU8501","2019LU7541","2019LT9062"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-29","recordCreationDate":"2003-07-23","availableToBook":false}}