Pair of Samson magots. France, late 19th century

Pair of SAMSON magots. France, late 19th century.
Hand painted white porcelain.
With stamps on the base.
Presents damage to a finger.
Measurements: 25 x 28,5 x 28 cm.

The magots are Chinese or Japanese figurines of grotesque appearance. They are represented seated and can have been made in porcelain, ivory, wood, etc. In this case both figures have a tilting head. The polychromy of the attire is remarkable.

The firm Samson, Edmé et Cie. was founded by Edmé Samson in 1845 in Paris, with the aim of producing replicas of the ceramic and porcelain pieces exhibited in museums and private collections. The factory, moved to Montreuil in 1864, focused on the reproduction of antique and also modern pieces from other manufactures, such as Meissen, Sèvres, Chelsea and Derby. Among the pieces reproducing styles of the past are objects inspired by Italian majolica, Persian plates, Bernard Palissy pieces and Hispano-Muslim ceramics, as well as Japanese Imari and Arita pieces and reproductions of Chinese porcelain, especially of the 18th century Pink Family and Green Family styles. Samson's pieces were always reproductions, never copies with deceptive intent, since they all originally featured the factory mark, an anchor (although on some pieces it was hidden or removed). In addition, he tried to distinguish his pieces by using hard porcelain paste, when most of the originals to which he referred were of soft paste. Likewise, the scale of the pieces was changed, as well as the colors used for their decoration. The firm continued in production until 1969, and its models were sold ten years later at Christie's London.