#monkey orchestra

[mrsterlingusa]

Rejoice!

[mrsterlingusa]

Monkey Business

A porcelain monkey band by Carl Thieme’s Saxon Porcelain Manufactory, Dresden, Germany. These monkeys are modeled after the 18th century originals designed by Johann Joachim Kaendler for Meissen. The monkey orchestra was meant to add a witty and whimsical touch to the formal table settings of their day. The monkey musicians are shown here as they would have been displayed in the 18th century, atop a surtout de table in candle light.

 “Singerie” is the depiction of monkeys in formal dress imitating human behavior for humor and social commentary. The popularity of singerie in decorative art continues to this day. 

[mrsterlingusa]

The Monkey Band

This place setting features, Herend Rothschild Bird dishes, Waterford Tall Colleen stemware, Audubon sterling silver flatware by Tiffany & Co., vintage Sheffield silver charger, and a vintage American brilliant cut glass decanter (if you can’t find original vintage decanters William Yeoward makes fine reproductions). In the background a surtout de table, also called a mirror plateau hosts a Dresden porcelain monkey band by Carl Thieme.

[paulpingminho]

[bramblepatch]

I’m watching British Antiques Roadshow and the expert is explaining about how to tell high quality monkey orchestra figurines from lower-quality knockoffs

monkey orchestra being a style of hugely popular porcelain figures from the 1750s. they started making them after someone said the king’s orchestra sounded like trained monkeys during a banquet and the king thought that was so funny that someone went home and started sculpting porcelain monkeys in formal dress with musical instruments to give to the king and then suddenly everyone wanted a porcelain monkey orchestra to display at parties.

it’s a stupid in-joke that suddenly everyone needed. it’s a popular meme from the 1750s. this is like 18th century rare pepes. this is amazing.