The first monkey orchestra (Affenkapella) was created at Meissen in 1753 by the modeller J.J. Kaendler ; see my newsletter of 24/8/05. There were twenty musicians and a conductor with a separate music stand. These Meissen figures proved so popular that they have been re-created right up to the present day and were copied by other leading porcelain factories in England such as Chelsea and Derby and also on the Continent.
In 1912 Otto Pilz (1876-1934) created for Meissen a contemporary and very humorous version of the monkey orchestra which consisted of eight musicians and a conductor. Whereas the monkey orchestra by Kaendler represented only one species of monkey the ensemble created by Otto Pilz featured seven species.
The four illustrated here, show an Orang Utan playing the tuba, a Chimpanzee playing the French horn, a Rhesus monkey playing a drum with attached cymbal and a Mandrill playing the harp.
The model numbers for the nine figures range from C 271-C279 and the heights from 14.5 cms for the drummer to 27 cms for the harp player.
Between 1905 and 1913 Otto Pilz created about thirty figures for Meissen, mainly animal figures including the nine monkey orchestra musicians.
I have illustrated four other animal figures by Otto Pilz.
1. Leopard with cub. First modelled 1913, model number B 206. Height 22.5 cms
2. Two Donkeys. First modelled 1908, model number Y 156. Height 25 cms.
3. Two Giraffes. First modelled 1907, model number X 162. Height 34 cms.
4. Girl riding a turtle. First modelled 1907, model number X163. Height 14 cms.
5. Group of antelopes. First modelled 1912, model number B 253. Height 30 cms.
6. Group of greyhounds. First modelled 1910, model number A 236. Height 23.5 cms.I have illustrated four other animal figures by Otto Pilz.
For examples of the nine monkey musicians and other animals by Otto Pilz see The Art of Meissen Figures Model Numbers A 100 - Z 300 by Thomas and Anne Bergmann
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