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Pair of Antique Meissen Hand-Painted Porcelain Potpourri Urns or Vases
$11,950per set

About
Pair of exceptional quality 18th century Antique Meissen hand painted porcelain potpourri urns or vases with period bocage lids.
Note the exceptional bocage work on the floral clusters atop each lid. The painted pastoral landscapes on the obverse and the floral bouquets in verso are exquisitely hand painted as are all of the decorations. (we can provide many more images of details on request).
The mark on the base of each vase/urn is the 18th century mark from the Dot or Academic period of the Meissen factory, circa 1763-1774 when a blue dot was painted between the hilts of the swords mark. The famous "crossed swords" mark (taken from the Arms of Saxony) was introduced in 1722 and has been the standard mark of the factory up to the present day. (mark as noted pg. 68 in "Godden's Guide to European Porcelain by Geoffrey Godden, First Edition, 1993 and pg. 478 of "Marks & Monograms on European Pottery & Porcelain" by Wm. Chaffers, 14th revised edition, 1946).
The damage shown to one handle on one urn and the chip to the lip have been seriously taken into consideration and is reflective in the price.
Please note exquisite double sided urns with Watteau-esque pastoral scene on one side and floral bouquet on other side.
A/F- Some Damage noted to two handles on one urn and chips on bocage. (Priced Accordingly!).
Details
- CreatorMeissen Porcelain (Maker)
- DimensionsHeight: 16 in. (40.64 cm)Width: 7.5 in. (19.05 cm)Depth: 5.75 in. (14.61 cm)
- Sold AsSet of 2
- StyleRococo (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques
- Place of Origin
- Period
- Date of Manufacture1763-1764
- ConditionWear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. A/F- Some Damage noted to two handles on one urn and chips on bocage. PRICED ACCORDINGLY.
- Seller LocationCharleston, SC
- Reference Number
Shipping & Returns
- Shipping$175 Standard Shippingto anywhere in the world, arrives in 4-5 weeks. We recommend this shipping type based on item size, type and fragility.Delivered by a parcel delivery service such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL.Ships From: Charleston, SC
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
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About the Maker
Meissen Porcelain
Meissen Porcelain (Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen) is one of the preeminent porcelain factories in Europe and was the first to produce true porcelain outside of Asia. It was established in 1710 under the auspices of King Augustus II “the Strong” of Saxony-Poland (1670–1733), a keen collector of Asian ceramics, particularly Ming porcelain. In pursuing his passion, which he termed his “maladie de porcelaine,” Augustus spent vast sums, amassing some 20,000 pieces of Japanese and Chinese ceramics. These, along with examples of early Meissen, comprise the Porzellansammlung, or porcelain collection, of the Zwinger Palace, in Dresden. The king was determined, however, to free the European market from its dependence on Asian imports and to give European artisans the freedom to create their own porcelain designs. To this end, he charged the scientist Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and aspiring alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger with the task of using local materials to produce true, hard-paste porcelain (as opposed to the soft-paste variety European ceramists in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Spain had been producing since the late Renaissance). In 1709, the pair succeeded in doing just that, employing kaolin, or “china clay.” A year later, the Meissen factory was born. In its first decades, Meissen mostly looked to Asian models, producing wares based on Japanese Kakiemon ceramics and pieces with Chinese-inflected decorations, called chinoiseries. During the 1720s its painters drew inspiration from the works of Watteau, and the scenes of courtly life, fruits and flowers that adorned fashionable textiles and wallpaper. It was in this period that Meissen introduced its famous cobalt-blue crossed swords logo—derived from the arms of the Elector of Saxony as Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire—to distinguish its products from those of competing factories that were beginning to spring up around Europe. By the 1730s, Meissen’s modelers and decorators had mastered the style of Asian ceramics, and Augustus encouraged them to develop a new, original aesthetic. The factory’s director, Count Heinrich von Brühl, used Johann Wilhelm Weinmann’s botanical drawings as the basis for a new line of wares with European-style surface decoration. The Blue Onion pattern (Zwiebelmuster), first produced in 1739, melded Asian and European influences, closely following patterns used in Chinese underglaze-blue porcelain, but replacing exotic flora and fruits with Western varieties (likely peaches and pomegranates, not onions) along with peonies and asters. During the same period, head modeler Joachim Kändler (1706–75) began crafting delicate porcelain figures derived from the Italian commedia dell’arte. Often used as centerpieces on banquet tables and decorated to reflect the latest fashions in courtly dress for men and women, these figurines, they were popular in their day, and are still considered among of Meissen’s most iconic creations. Kändler also created the Swan Service, which, with its complex low-relief surface design and minimal decoration is considered a masterpiece of Baroque ceramics. The rise of Neoclassicism in the latter half of the 18th century forced Meissen to change artistic direction and begin producing monumental vases, clocks, chandeliers and candelabra. In the 20th century, Meissen added to its 18th-century repertoire decidedly modern designs, including ones in the Art Nouveau style. The 1920s saw the introduction of numerous animal figures, such as the popular sea otter (Fischotter), which graced an East German postage stamp in the 1960s. Starting in 1933, artistic freedom was limited at the factory under the Nazi regime, and after World War II, when the region became part of East Germany, it struggled to reconcile its elite past with the values of the Communist government. In 1969, however, new artistic director Karl Petermann reintroduced the early designs and fostered a new degree of artistic license. Meissen became one of the few companies to prosper in East Germany. Owned by the State of Saxony since reunification, in 1990, Meissen continues to produce its classic designs together with new ones developed collaboratively with artists from all over the world. In addition, through its artCAMPUS program, the factory has invited distinguished ceramic artists, such as Chris Antemann and Arlene Shechet, to work in its studios in collaboration with its skilled modelers and painters. The resulting works of contemporary sculpture are inspired by Meissen’s rich and complex legacy.
About the SellerLocated in Charleston, SC
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