Imperial Amphora Turn Porcelain Cherub Basket With Cascading Rosettes, Circa 1890–1900

Details

Description

A large and dramatically sculptural porcelain basket vase by Imperial Amphora of Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia — one of the most celebrated … Read more A large and dramatically sculptural porcelain basket vase by Imperial Amphora of Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia — one of the most celebrated Art Nouveau ceramic factories of the late 19th century, known for exceptional figural and decorative work that rivaled the finest European porcelain houses of the era.
The piece features a tall white porcelain body rendered in a meticulous basket-weave relief, rising from a shaped naturalistic base in a rich olive and gilt glaze. A sweeping arched fluted handle crowns the composition, tied at its apex with a bold gilded ribbon bow. Two exuberant gilded cherubs animate the form — one reclines languidly across the basket's shoulder, the other peers over its rim — both surrounded by cascading clusters of applied white porcelain rosette buds in extraordinary profusion. The interior bowl is open and smoothly glazed white.
The combination of crisp white enamel, warm gold gilding, and sage-olive tones gives this piece an exceptional decorative presence — equally at home in a grand entry, a library, or as a centerpiece on a dining table or console.
Impressed marks to the base: oval "AMPHORA" and circular crown "Imperial / Turn" mark with model number 1481, consistent with production dating to approximately 1890–1900.

Maker: Imperial Amphora, Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia
Materials: Glazed porcelain, applied porcelain rosettes, gilt decoration
Dimensions: 15" W × 14½" D × 18" H
Condition: Professionally repaired bow ribbon and upper cherub's left wing; sporadic wear to gilding at edges consistent with age; interior would benefit from cleaning. Please review all photos carefully.

A showstopping example of late 19th-century Bohemian decorative porcelain — bold in scale, rich in detail, and unmistakably grand. See less