Real Tennis Porcelain Figure Germany Circa 1820

$320.00

This figure of an elegant young nobleman ready to play Real Tennis was made of German (Saxony) hard-paste porcelain circa 1820. Real Tennis, a favorite pastime of King Henry The Eighth of England, is also known as the Sport of Kings* The young man holds his racquet in his right hand, looking out at the imagined court. In his left hand, he holds a ball, which he is about to drop to start play. His costume is elaborate. It includes a feathered hat and a cape.

Dimensions: 6.25″ tall x 2.75″ in diameter

Condition: Excellent with a small firing flaw with original glaze in it on the bottom edge (see close-up image #7)

In stock

*In the mid-16th century, Henry the Eighth of England had a Real Tennis court at his Hampton Court Palace and was known to excel at this sport. Background of Real Tennis: Real Tennis, called the Sport of Kings, is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis derived. The rules and scoring are similar to those of modern tennis. The game uses a cork-cored ball. The 2.5″ diameter balls are handmade and consist of a core made of cork with fabric tightly wound around it, compacted by outer windings of string, and covered with a hand-sewn layer of heavy, woven, woolen cloth.

 


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