CIRCA 1775, BLUE SCEPTRE MARKS, VARIOUS IMPRESSED AND BLUE MARKS

Details

A Berlin eisenrot part tea and coffee-service
Circa 1775, blue sceptre marks, various impressed and blue marks
Painted with figures at various pursuits in wooded landscapes below ozier-moulded borders and gilt foliage rims, comprising:

A baluster coffee-pot and domed cover, the spout and wishbone handle moulded with scrolling foliage, the cover with a flower finial (small chip to rim, slight chip to finial, minute wear to gilding), 9 in. (23 cm.) high
An ogival quatrefoil oval spoon-tray (minute wear to gilding)
A slop-bowl (wear to gilding and enamel of interior, minute scratches enamel of exterior in places)
Four coffee-cups and saucers (wear to gilding, one saucer with small rim chip)
A pair of teacups and saucers (handles lacking and wear to gilding, one cup with restoration to footrim, one saucer with small rim chip)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The inspiration for the subjects were the paintings of Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). In 1741 J.J. Kändler ordered the purchase in Paris of the posthumously published engravings after Watteau's paintings, and from the early 1740's Meissen began decorating porcelain with vignettes inspired by these engravings. It was almost certainly the same engravings that inspired the decoration of the present lot. In some instances, figures were used exactly as conceived by Watteau and in others, elements from compositions were extracted and rearranged to create new groupings. See Emile Dacier & Albert Vuaflart, Jean de Jullienne et les Gravures de Watteau au XVIIIe Siècle, Catalogue Raisonné (Paris, 1931).

The seated couple on one side of the coffee-pot is perhaps inspired by a seated couple at the left in La Contredanse (Cat. Raisonné no. 177).

The subject on the spoon-tray is taken from the couple in Cat. Raisonné no. 163.

The subject of one of the coffee-cups is taken from a couple seated against a tree in the background of La Marieé de Village (Cat. Raisonné no. 111), and the subject of another from Les Agremens de l'Este (Cat. Raisonné no. 132). The subject of one of the two teacups is taken from the couple in the foreground of Les Agremens de l'Este (Cat. Raisonné no. 132).

The subjects of the saucers are taken from; the standing couple in Le Bosquet de Bacchus (pl. 265); from Le Bouffon (Cat. Raisonné no. 281); from the gallant and companion at the right-hand side of Le Bosquet de Bacchus (Cat. Raisonné no. 265); from Lille de Cithere (Cat. Raisonné no. 155); from Les Champs Elisées (Cat. Raisonné no. 133) and from the two ladies standing before the carriage in La Marieé de Vilage (Cat. Raisonné no. 111).

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