A rare and large Meissen 'Schneeballen' vase, cover and stand late 19th century

after an eighteenth-century model by Johann Joachim Kändler, of inverted pear shape, the flower-encrusted body reserved on the front with a royal female portrait medallion in low relief, above a coat of arms of Saxony impaling Sweden within a rocaille-molded border, the handles in the form of gilt leafy branches emerging from clusters of mayflower blossoms and surmounted on one side with 'Flora' and on the other with 'Fame' as an angel with outstretched wings, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue.

There are some very minor, occasional chips or restored chips to the edges of the leafy branches. There is some overspray along the interior of the rim of the vase possibly covering haircrack/s; the exact nature of any potential damage is not apparent. There is a short and fine haircrack running down the rim edge and another fine approximate 4-inch one, visible from the interior, running up from the upper body and ending below the rim edge. Both butterflies and one beetle are restored. The tip of the crown is restored. 'Flora's right hand and left arm, as well has her upper body are very well restored, covering breaks. The base of the vase, below the stem, appears to be oversprayed overall; the exact possible nature of the damage is not apparent. The cover has restoration to the tip of the crown. Otherwise in good condition. IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PURCHASERS – CHANGE OF PROPERTY LOCATION POST SALE Purchasers may pay for and pick up their purchases at our York Avenue headquarters until the close of business on the day of each respective auction. After this time, sold property will be transferred to our new offsite facility, Crozier Fine Arts, One Star Ledger Plaza, 69 Court Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Once property has been transferred from our York Avenue location, it will not be available for collection at Crozier Fine Arts for two business days. Crozier's hours of operation for collection are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Please note, certain items of property, including jewelry, watches, silver, works on panel and items valued $10 million or more will remain at 1334 York Avenue. Invoices and statements will indicate your property's location. For more information regarding collection from our offsite facility, please visit sothebys.com/pickup.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The original undecorated version of this vase, currently in Staatliche Kunstsammlungen of Dresden (P.E. 112), was modelled by Johann Joachim Kändler, circa 1742, as a diplomatic gift for the French Court of 1742, as discussed in detail by Jeffrey Munger in Fragile Diplomacy, Meissen Porcelain for European Courts ca. 1710-63, ed. Maureen Cassidy-Geiger, pp.156-157, fig. 7-23. The central vase, after which the present example is modeled, belonged to a garniture of five vases and ewers and is described by Jefrrey Munger as "one of the most ambitious projects conceived as a diplomatic gift", ibid, p. 156. The present vase deviates from its 18th-century prototype in some of the decorative elements as well as the portrait medallion, coats of arms and the initials on the covers. Another version of this vase, without the applied flowerheads, was given as a wedding gift from Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin to his daughter Marie, on her wedding to Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich in 1874, the son of Tsar Alexander II and brother of Tsar Alexander III.  The vase is preserved in the Vladimir Palace on the Palace Embankment, St. Petersburg and is illustrated in Galina Korneva and Tatiana Cheboksarova, Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna, p. 17.