H of the column: 1,11m / 44 in H of the piper: 1,05 m / 41 in H of the dancer: 1,08 m/ 42 in
Total height: 2,20 m / 87 in
These two terracotta sculptures rest on majestic mahogany columns.
From 1752 onwards, the Sèvres manufactory produced a series of eight biscuits, known as the "Boucher children", which were very successful, among others with Madame de Pompadour, who bought them on several occasions. These included "The Piper" and "The Dancer", created by the sculptor Pierre Blondeau after a model by François Boucher.
These two characters refer to a ballet by Favart: "Les vendanges de Tempé", a pantomime successfully performed from 1745. This ballet featured villagers, including a pastor in love who played the bagpipes on his bagpipe to charm his beloved.
The biscuit representing the piper was reproduced in the 18th century in terracotta, a copy of which is in the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City (H: 1.02m)
In the 19th century, the piper was combined with the dancer to make a pair. A few examples of these terracotta sculptures are known, including one in the Château d'Omonville in Normandy.
