Velvet Porcelain

Pair of French Sevres School urns offer hand painted porcelain vessels having reserves with courting couples and landscape scenes, gilt foliate decoration and cast bronze handles, seated on shaped gilt and velvet plinths...

This is a beautiful antique Italian Capodimonte porcelain casket, late 19th century in date. The box and cover are superbly decorated in relief with classical scenes, and there ar...

This is an absolutely fabulous antique English Art Nouveau ormolu and Minton porcelain casket, circa 1890 in date. The top is inset with a superb hand painted rectangular porcelain plaque with cherubs and a maiden decorated in relief. The ormolu is applied with a wonderful foliate and floral decoration of curved lines. The interior is lined with stunning blue velvet and the casket is raised on four elegant cabriole feet. Condition: In excellent condition, the porcelain and ormolu having been delicately cleaned in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 10 x width 23 x depth 23 Dimensions in inches: Height 3.9 x width 9.1 x depth 9.1 Art Nouveau had its roots in Britain, in the Arts & Crafts movement of the 1880s, which called for a closer union between the fine arts and decorative arts, and a break away from historical styles to designs inspired by function and nature. One notable early example Arthur Mackmurdo's design for the cover of his essay on the city churches of Sir Christopher Wren, published in 1883. Other important innovators in Britain included the graphic designers Aubrey Beardsley whose drawings featured the curved lines which became the most recognizable feature of the style. free-flowing wrought iron from the 1880s could also be adduced, or some flat floral textile designs, most of which owed some impetus to patterns of 19th century design. Other British graphic artists who had an important place in the style included Walter Crane and Charles Ashbee. The Liberty department store...