Papal Tazza by KPM
View Similar Items
Papal Tazza by KPM
About the Item
- Creator:KPM Porcelain (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 13.75 in (34.93 cm)Diameter: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)
- Style:Other (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1823
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New Orleans, LA
- Reference Number:Seller: 30-41051stDibs: LU89117150063
KPM Porcelain
The Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin, or KPM (Royal Porcelain Factory, Berlin, in English) was one of the most influential porcelain factories to emerge in 18th-century Germany, along with Nymphenburg and Meissen. KPM was the third incarnation of a company originally founded in 1751 by Wilhelm Caspar Wegely to take advantage of the burgeoning market for “white gold.” On the verge of bankruptcy, Wegely sold his inventory and tools to Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky, who in 1761 established another porcelain factory, which also failed, and was subsequently taken over by Frederick II of Prussia in 1763. Like Augustus II, Elector of Saxony, the patron of Meissen and a keen collector who described himself as suffering (quite happily) from “porcelain sickness,” Frederick II was proud to refer to himself as KPM’s “best customer.” KPM produces china and figurines to this day, and throughout its long history, it has been a style-setter for elegant tableware, particularly in the 1930’s, the period during which their popular patterns Urbino, Urania and Arkadia were designed.
Thanks to its royal patronage, KPM had the resources and contacts necessary to establish itself as a leading luxury producer, and supplied Russian and European elites with tableware in the Rococo and Neoclassical styles, as well as monumental vases, and decorative plaques. Many of these objects can be found today in major museums as a result of Frederick II’s penchant for sending KPM porcelain as diplomatic gifts throughout Europe. Unlike Meissen, which was known for crafting porcelain sculptures of dazzling complexity, KPM is revered for the precision and splendor of its surface decoration, and for its porcelain plaques depicting scenes from history and mythology. One especially lovely example circa 1790 is a neocalssical-style tea service decorated with gold accents and a grisaille design of figures from the ancient world. By contrast, this boldly colorful narrative cup and saucer set from the 1840’s depicts scenes from real life as colorfully as a painting. The set was commissioned by a gentleman for his wife as a tongue-in-cheek gift commemorating her misadventures while in town for a visit to the opera, which resulted in her opera glasses being stolen. The saucer shows the thief and the glasses, and the cup reveals the scene of the crime in vivid hues.
KPM was forced to move from its original location in 1867 due to the building of the new Prussian Parliament building, and this afforded the company the opportunity to to create a new factory with the newest equipment and materials of the day. With the growing popularity of Art Nouveau and the western fascination with Asian ceramics, KPM began formulating glazes that evoked the color palette and rich surfaces of Chinese porcelain. By the turn of the century, KPM was exhibiting its wares to a global audience at international expositions. At the end of World War I with the collapse of the Prussian monarchy, KPM was renamed the State Porcelain Manufactory Berlin, continuing to use the name KPM and its use of the cobalt blue sceptre mark that is painted on the bottom of every piece.
By the late 1920’s, the designers and craftsmen of KPM were inspired by the tenets of Modernism, particularly the styles of the Bauhaus and the Deutscher Werkbund. During this period, the firm’s aim was to produce useful household porcelain for a range of consumers, rather than catering to a small elite. Among the most successful patterns of this era was designer Trude Petri’s Urbino line, which is still produced today. Following World War II, KPM was temporarily housed in the town of Selb, and only returned to its rebuilt quarters in Berlin in 1957. In the 1980s, KPM became an private company independent of the state, and began to focus production on the preservation of historic forms, designs, and techniques. KPM continues to collaborate with designers from all over the world, most recently on the Berlin dinnerware service with designer Enzo Mari, and a collaboration with the luxury brands Bottega Veneta and Bugatti.
- KPM Porcelain Painting After MurilloBy KPM PorcelainLocated in New Orleans, LAPainted after a work by 17th century Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1617-1682), this enchanting KPM painting on porcelain is a beautiful rendering of the artist's original...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Other Paintings
MaterialsPorcelain
- Sonderborg Castle Porcelain Plate by Royal CopenhagenBy Royal CopenhagenLocated in New Orleans, LAThis plate by the celebrated porcelain firm of Royal Copenhagen features a wonderfully detailed seascape complete with ships and a quaint Danish village surrounding the Sonderborg Ca...Category
20th Century Danish Other Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Flora Danica Fungi Oval Platter by Royal CopenhagenBy Royal CopenhagenLocated in New Orleans, LAThis rare Royal Copenhagen porcelain platter was custom-crafted in the famed Flora Danica Fungi pattern. Flora Danica is known worldwide for its ext...Category
20th Century Danish Other Platters and Serveware
MaterialsPorcelain
- Flora Danica Lidded Ginger Jar by Royal CopenhagenBy Royal CopenhagenLocated in New Orleans, LACrafted by Royal Copenhagen, this lidded ginger jar features one of the most prestigious porcelain patterns ever produced — the coveted Flora Danica pattern. The jar is rarity in the...Category
20th Century Danish Other Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Flora Danica Pierced Porcelain Basket by Royal CopenhagenBy Royal CopenhagenLocated in New Orleans, LAA delicate floral motif encases this rare pierced porcelain basket by the celebrated Royal Copenhagen. Crafted in the highly celebrated Flora ...Category
20th Century Danish Other Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Meissen Porcelain Summer and Fall Figural GroupBy Meissen PorcelainLocated in New Orleans, LAThis beautiful Meissen Porcelain figure entitled Summer and Fall is part of the company's beloved Seasons series. The putti rest upon a rocaille-formed base holding representations o...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Other Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Gothic Revival Carved Oak and KPM Porcelain TriptychBy KPM PorcelainLocated in London, GBThe triptych comprises a trio of porcelain plaques, depicting the patron saints of the German city of Cologne (Köln) by the renowned Berlin manufacturer KPM (Konigliche Porzellan-Man...Category
Antique 19th Century German Gothic Revival Religious Items
MaterialsPorcelain, Oak
- Antique KPM Hand-Painted Porcelain Cabinet Plate Depicting the Biblical "Ruth"By KPM PorcelainLocated in Hamilton, OntarioThis antique hand-painted porcelain cabinet plate was made by the renowned KPM porcelain factory of Germany in approximately 1880. The center of the plate features a depiction of the...Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Neoclassical Revival Religious Items
MaterialsPorcelain
- Japanese Porcelain Smoking Set by TakitoLocated in Bradenton, FLA Japanese porcelain cigarette holder with four matching ashtrays. Made by the Takito Company (1880-1948) and hand painted with a floral design in red. The Double Diamond TT maker's ...Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Tobacco Accessories
MaterialsPorcelain
$255 / set - KPM Porcelain Painting of Franz Josef of Austria in Ornate Giltwood FrameBy KPM PorcelainLocated in Savannah, GAThis detailed KPM porcelain plaque features a painting of Franz Joseph and is beautifully accentuated by a wide ornate antique giltwood frame. The porcelain circle measures seven and...Category
Antique Early 1900s German Baroque Revival Historical Memorabilia
MaterialsPorcelain, Giltwood
$972 Sale Price34% Off - Framed Collection of Papal CrestsLocated in Newport Beach, CAA remarkable, one-of-a-kind, hand-carved, gessoed, 22k gold gilded, hand-painted, foliate embellished serpentine, crest-form, 19th century, convex Italian frame inset with ink-on-vel...Category
Antique 1880s Italian Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsGiltwood, Paint
- Pavlovsk: Vol. 1 the Collections, by Emmanuel Ducamp, 1st EdLocated in valatie, NYPavlovsk: Volume 2 The Collections by Emmanuel Ducamp. Published by Alain de Gourcuff, Paris, 1993. 1st Ed hardcover. The most authoritative work on Pavlovsk in English. A stunningly photographed book, conveying the beauty of this Russian treasure. It focuses entirely on the art and architecture of Pavlovsk, the 18th-century palace near St. Petersburg built for the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and his wife, Maria Feodorovna...Category
1990s French Books
MaterialsPaper
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Wear Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Genius on Your Finger with This Vivid Ring
In his jewelry making, the designer rarely used diamonds — this rare example has two.
You Won’t Find a More Handsome Stopwatch Than This 1890s Pocket Chronograph
A Grand Complication from the golden era of pocket watches, the Marius Lecoultre pocket watch does everything but uncork your wine.