Centerpiece; Germany, 20th century

Centerpiece; Germany, 20th century
Glazed porcelain
Bears a stamp on the base
Measurements: 46 x 34 x 24 cm.

Centerpiece or fruit bowl made of glazed and partially gilded porcelain, possibly made in Dresden in the second half of the 20th century. The upper bowl, featuring an openwork design with large acanthus leaves along the rim, is decorated in a central oval with a floral bouquet in cobalt blue on a white background, framed by a rocaille scrollwork border, while the rest of the body features openwork highlighted with gilding. This cup rests on a sculptural group of two female figures in the round, dressed in gilded tunics. The ensemble rests on a stepped rectangular base, decorated with a border of pearls, suspended floral garlands, and plant motifs in cobalt blue, with a perimeter fillet also in blue.

Both the profusion of flowers in relief and the preference for allegorical figures decorating this piece are direct references to the repertoire created by the Meissen manufactory, founded in 1710 following Johann Friedrich Böttger’s discovery of the formula for hard-paste porcelain and which, during the 18th century, became the leading European authority in the field. Building on its prestige, and taking advantage of the region’s geographical proximity and ceramic tradition, various manufacturers and decorative workshops emerged throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in Saxony itself, especially in Dresden, which reproduced and freely interpreted Meissen models and motifs without being affiliated with the original manufactory, giving rise to a body of work that varied greatly in quality but enjoyed great commercial success—a category within which this piece can be placed.