Antique Yardley's Old English Lavender Dresden China Porcelain Advertising Figurine

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A little history lesson first ...

The town of Dresden (in Germany) was an important center of high quality Rococo … Read more A little history lesson first ...

The town of Dresden (in Germany) was an important center of high quality Rococo style porcelain sculpture and tableware during the late 19th and 20th centuries.

The history of porcelain in Dresden has been intimately linked to the history of the nearby town of Meissen, which was the first in Europe to produce hard-paste porcelain ware. It was as a consequence of discovering the secret of so-called ‘white gold’ that Meissen became a hugely successful manufacturing town.

Many Meissen works were not only sold in Dresden, but painted and decorated there, which is why the two towns are often confused with each other when it comes to antique porcelain.

Carl Thieme decided to start making his own porcelain pieces, including tableware, vases and sculpture. In 1872, he founded ‘The Saxon porcelain manufactory of Carl Theime in Potschappel-Dresden’, which later became known as the Saxonian Porcelain Factory, and then the Dresden Porcelain Manufactory. Pieces from this factory were exhibited at major international exhibitions and fairs, including in Brussels in 1897 and Paris in 1900.

And now on to this listing ...

Offered here is an incredibly detailed large porcelain sculpture, an advertising piece for Yardley's Old English Lavender, made by the Dresden Porcelain Manufactory during the Carl Thieme era. It depicts a young woman and two little girls holding baskets and sprigs of lavender. The front of the base bears the gold wording, YARDLEY'S OLD ENGLISH LAVENDER. On the underside is the impressed maker's mark, which dates this piece to between 1902 and 1918.

This piece was original used as product advertising in scientific/chemist/drug shops for Yardley's soap, cologne and perfume. Base measures about 7 1/2" X 5", and it stands about 12" tall.

I've looked over this piece very carefully. Miraculously, it has no cracks, unusual wear, or evidence of repairs. The mold for this figural piece was later redesigned by the company several times, each time to lessen the chances of breakage. For example, the sprig of lavender that juts out of the woman's hand was changed to a more compact bunch of wildflowers; and the thin handle of the basket she carries over her crooked arm was made smaller. It's utterly astounding that this early piece, as delicate as it is, remains entirely intact. Even the gold lettering on the front is near perfect. It looks like it has sat in someone's china cabinet for its entire life.

If you are a collector of antique advertising memorabilia, Yardley's Old English Lavender advertising in particular, or Dresden Thieme-era porcelain pieces, you've just found the next piece to add to your collection. See less