Figure group (Dovecote)

Description

Dovecotes like this one sometimes have been questioned in terms of whether or not they are early in date. Based on comparable versions (see Grigsby, Weldon, pp. 404-5, no. 248) that entered museum collections as early as 1940, however, it seems unlikely that such objects were made as fakes. The body (building section) of the dovecote resembles some tea canisters, thought to date to the 18th century. Such a vessel could have been repurposed--by piercing the windows and laying them down as ledges to support the birds. The upper portion of the roof, used as a lid on the tea canisters, is left attached on the dovecotes.