Question:

There is some handwritten information on a label on the base:
-Psyche Au Bain.
Modelled by Roggieri Naples
- Capo -Di Monte
Fine Quality porcelain
circa 1800-1810

Answer:

Hello and thanks for your inquiry and clear photos,

Several points:

• "Psyche au Bain" means "Psyche at Bath" in French, inspired by the Greek legend of Psyche (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_and_Psyche) depicted in numerous Ancient, Neoclassic & Renaissance pieces of Art of all sorts, including Murals, Paintings, Porcelain or Ceramic Arts, Tapestries etc etc
• "Capo di Monte" is the name of a very short-lived factory near Naples, Italy, founded by King Charles III of Spain in 1759. Most of their items were unmarked, but when marked, they used a Fluer-de-Lys type of mark in blue underglaze.
• Charles' son, Ferdinand IV, established a new Porcelain Manufactory, first in Portici, Italy, ca 1771 - 1773, and then moved it to Naples. It is THIS newer factory, and NOT Capo di Monte, that used the Crowned letter N as its mark, usually in Blue underglaze and occasionally in Red overglaze (N for Naples).
• This new factory closed in 1821 and many of its Molds, Models, Designs, equipment etc, were acquired by the GINORI Manufactory in Doccia, near Florence, Italy. This company was already in existence since 1713 and continues to be in business to Present. GINORI used the Crowned N mark from the Naples factory, in Blue underglaze or overglaze, on most reproductions of older Capo di Monte and of items modelled at the Naples factory. This practice continued for almost a century. They also used other marks on non-"Capo-di-Monte" reproductions.
• HOWEVER, because of the popularity of these "Capo d Monte" reproductions, many other companies from other countries, especially Germany, also copied this mark on similar reproductions. NOTE: although these are reproductions, they are still Antique as most exceed 100 years in age. Newer applications of this same Crowned N mark can be found on many Italian Decorative Porcelain pieces, especially from Nove (see our "N" Shape Category for several examples), and more recently on Asian imports.
• "Roggieri" (or other variations of this name) do not appear to be associated with any particular Artist or Modeller, so it could be either a fictitious name (common ca 1850s - 1920s, for example Angelica Kauffman, who was an Artist of paintings of Oil on Canvas, but NEVER painted anything for Porcelain Plates now termed Royal Vienna - I'm sure you've seen some examples over the years) OR a one-off Modeller who has never been documented.
• We believe that your lovely Figurine is most likely marked with the ERNST BOHNE version of the Crowned N mark (please use our NAME SEARCH feature for ERNST BOHNE to see several of their marks and read a brief Fact Sheet on the company). We believe your item dates ca 1901 - 1920.
• There is also a letter R mark near the foot of Psyche, which perhaps a previous owner attributed it to "Roggieri", whoever he is. However, we believe that it refers to Rudolstadt, the location of Ernst Bohne's Factory.

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