Antique German KPM Style Hand-Painted Porcelain Plaque “Lorelei” After Wilhelm Kray

Details

Description

Antique German KPM-style hand-painted porcelain plaque depicting **“Lorelei,” after the original composition by Wilhelm Kray (1828–1889)**. Finely painted with a … Read more Antique German KPM-style hand-painted porcelain plaque depicting **“Lorelei,” after the original composition by Wilhelm Kray (1828–1889)**. Finely painted with a semi-nude female figure seated on rocks, surrounded by flowing drapery in a soft landscape setting.

Presented in an original wood frame with gilt decoration. The reverse is inscribed “Lorelei / Kray,” accompanied by a handwritten German verse from *Lurlei* (1886), a romantic poem by German writer Julius Wolff (1834–1910).

The inscription translates approximately as:

*“I will ensnare them and bring them to ruin
With cunning, enticing song;
Brokenhearted, they shall die,
Suffocating in the anguish of longing.”*

The verse references the legendary Lorelei, whose enchanting song was said to lure sailors to their destruction along the Rhine. This literary connection adds a fascinating historical dimension to the romantic subject depicted on the plaque.

A beautifully decorative cabinet-size porcelain plaque with strong classical and romantic appeal, particularly suited to traditional interiors and collections of antique European porcelain.

Circa 1890–1910

**Dimensions**
Overall: 11.5 W × 13 H in
Porcelain plaque: 7.5 W × 9.25 H in

Attribution
After Wilhelm Kray; porcelain manufacturer unidentified.

Markings
Handwritten “Lorelei / Kray” inscription and German verse on reverse. See less