Figure of a Nun, perhaps Heloise

A classic example of early Bow porcelain.

The figure is of a Dominican Nun, and is based on a continental model, probably Meissen.

Bow produced a number of apparently religious figures, and there is much disagreement on whether these were intended as devotional items (for recusants or for the Continental market), or whether they were 'rebranded' as theatrical models. Certainly, by the 1770s we see this model named as 'Heloise', a 12th century author who was forced into a convent after becoming pregnant outside marriage.

The play "Abélard et Héloïse" and was written by the French playwright Pierre de Belloy. The play was performed in Paris in 1750 and was a critical and commercial success. The play tells the story of the love affair between Héloïse and Abelard, and focuses on the passion and tragedy of their relationship.

It was one of the first plays to dramatize the story of Héloïse and Abelard, and its popularity helped to establish the couple as symbols of romantic love and intellectual passion. "Abélard et Héloïse" was widely performed throughout France and was also popular in other European countries, further cementing the couple's place in the cultural imagination.

Flat chip to toe.