Harlequin family ca. 1740-45 Villeroy This remarkable figure group made of soft-paste porcelain is based directly on a Meissen porcelain sculptural group that was first modeled in 1738 (see 1982.60.297).1 Left in the white, it is likely this example was made at the Villeroy factory, but it has been suggested by Aileen Dawson that it may have been produced slightly later at Mennecy,2 the successor factory to Villeroy that was founded in 1750 (see 54.147.7). The underside of the group is marked with the letters DV painted in black enamel, a mark now believed to be that used at Villeroy.3 In addition, this group employs a tin glaze, the use of which is associated primarily with the production of the Villeroy factory rather than with works made at Mennecy.4The Harlequin family group displays a number of technical flaws that also suggest an origin at Villeroy, a small-scale and experimental ceramic enterprise. Furthermore, the ceramic paste ranges in color from slightly gray to slig