(2) 18th Century Chelsea-Derby Porcelain Musician Figures. A finely modelled pair of musicians from the 1770s. The male figure plays the bagpipes beside a hound, while the female musician sits with a mandolin and a small lamb. Exquisite bocage construction around them forming a solid tree mass with flowers throughout. 

Size: 8 x 5 x 9 1/2 in. 

Chelsea porcelain is the porcelain made by the Chelsea porcelain manufactory, established around 1743 in Chelsea, London, and operating independently until 1770 when it merged with Derby porcelain. It produced soft-paste porcelain throughout its history, with changes in body and glaze over time, and targeted a luxury market. Its location near Ranelagh Gardens supported fashionable trade and clientele. Under Nicholas Sprimont, production expanded in the mid 18th Century, with designs influenced by Meissen porcelain and later by Sèvres. The factory became known for finely detailed figures and small decorative objects, including the so-called “Chelsea Toys,” which included miniature boxes, scent bottles, and other luxury trinkets, often with metal mounts. From the 1760s, output shifted toward more elaborate Rococo-style groups and garniture sets. In 1770 the factory was acquired by William Duesbury of Derby, and production continued in the Chelsea-Derby period until the Chelsea works were dismantled in 1784 and molds, workers, and designs were transferred to Derby.

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