An Early Meissen Teapot and Cover, Circa 1722-23

Lot Closed

October 17, 04:37 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

An Early Meissen Teapot and Cover, Circa 1722-23

painted on one side of teapot with a scene of figures waiting on the shoreline before ships on the water, the other side with a naval battle scene with figures in the water, within Böttger lustre, iron-red, puce and gilt foliate scrollwork-edged shaped quatrefoil cartouches, gilt-edged rims, with branches of indianische Blumen and insects, the chained cover painted with a continuous scene of ships and boats on the water, K.P.M. mark in underglaze-blue

height 5 in., 12.8 cm

The scenes likely derive from, or are inspired by the engravings by Stefano Della Bella, perhaps from the series Paysages Maritimes 1620–1664, but more likely the series Vue de Ports de Mar, published in 1647.

Pieces from a second service painted with maritime scenes from this early date include a teapot, formerly in the Collection Dr. Paul Schnyder von Wartensee, Lucerne, sold, his executors' sale, Sotheby's London, June 29, 1982, lot 101, and most recently at Sotheby's London, A Tale Of Two Cities: Venice And Dresden Two Private Collections, June 9, 2015, lot 5. Interestingly the teapot was painted with the same scene featured on one of the present saucers showing a blacksmith and an upturned dinghy.

Meissen porcelain services decorated with maritime scenes are rare. Pieces from a slightly later service, painted, possibly by C. F. Herold, with maritime scenes derived from Stefano Della Bella include a waste bowl from the Collection of Margarethe and Dr. Franz Oppenheimer, Berlin & Vienna. The bowl was restituted back to the Heirs in 2021 and was sold at Sotheby's New York, September 14, 2021, lot 90.

Sotheby's Scientific Research department used noninvasive XRF for this lot to screen the green enamel for chromium, which was not detected.