Catherine ("Kitty") Clive (1711-85) was an Irish actress with a fine singing voice who began acting at seventeen and became a well known comedienne. She took the role of the "Fine Lady" in 1749, after joining the Drury Lane theatre company of the famous actor-manager, David Garrick. Henry Woodward took the role of "The Fine Gentleman" at the same time.

 

"Lethe" was a light-hearted mythological play in which fashionable characters from the London of the day poured out their troubles to the ancient Greek character Aesop, as they crossed the River Styx in Charon's boat on their way to the healing waters of the river Lethe (forgetfulness). Woodward's character describes himself thus:

"Faith, my existence is merely supported by amusements, to dress, visit, study, taste, write sonnets; by birth, travel, education, and natural abilities I am entitled to lead the fashion. I am the principal connoisseur at all auctions, chief arbiter at assemblies, professional critic at the theatres and a Fine Gentleman everywhere."

The fact that these two figures were produced by the factory for a long time for people to own in their homes shows how incredibly popular the play was, as were these two actors: the celebrities of their day! Figures like this bought their owners a part in this glamorous world and a sense of their own connoisseurship, as well as the prestige of possessing the newly manufactured English porcelain.

 

Figures were modelled in clay or wax, then cut into pieces, each of which was used to make a plaster mould. Casts were taken from each mould in porcelain, then assembled or 'repaired' using diluted porcelain 'slip' to join them. The finished piece was fired, then glazed and fired again. The charm of these works lies in the delicate detail and the lively natural pose of the figures.