Bust of a Young Woman. Ivory, signed and dated on verso. Summary: As early as Classical Antiquity writers described shepherds in the ideal setting of Arcadia as symbols of a longed-for simplicity and affinity with Nature. In the 17th and 18th c. this motif - the counterworld to the rigid etiquette of conduct governing social life then - was found in all of the arts. An erotic-lascivious note was also added by the refined aristocratic circles of the Rococo. Delicate, brightly colored porcelain sculpture was exquisitely suited for depicting these idyllic scenes.