Meissen Applied Floral Porcelain Perfume Ewer Original Stopper, Germany, 1875

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This Meissen Applied Floral Porcelain Perfume Ewer with Original Stopper exemplifies the extraordinary sculptural porcelain work that made the Meissen … Read more This Meissen Applied Floral Porcelain Perfume Ewer with Original Stopper exemplifies the extraordinary sculptural porcelain work that made the Meissen manufactory the benchmark for European porcelain during the nineteenth century. Dating to circa 1875, the diminutive vessel transforms a functional perfume bottle into a highly decorative cabinet object, richly adorned with hand-modeled flowers, foliage, and gilt ornament.

The elegant baluster body rises to a dramatically scrolling handle and asymmetrical rocaille-inspired spout, both enriched with finely burnished gilt. A soft blush-pink wash beneath the gilded rim gently fades into the luminous white porcelain body, creating a delicate transition that enhances the sculptural silhouette. Covering nearly every surface are individually modeled and hand-applied blossoms connected by naturalistic green stems. Roses, forget-me-nots, primroses, bellflowers, buds, and leaves are rendered with remarkable realism, each petal carefully modeled and hand-painted before being applied one by one. The original stopper is crowned by an equally elaborate bouquet, completing the composition as a unified work of porcelain sculpture.

This technique, known as applied bocage decoration, required exceptional skill. Each floral element was molded separately, hand-finished, painted, fired, and then painstakingly attached to the vessel. Because these delicate porcelain flowers were highly susceptible to damage, surviving examples retaining their original stopper and extensive floral decoration are increasingly difficult to find.

The form reflects the enduring influence of the Rococo revival that flourished at Meissen during the mid-to-late nineteenth century, when eighteenth-century courtly designs were reinterpreted with exuberant naturalism and technical virtuosity. Intended for a lady's dressing table or vitrine cabinet, pieces of this type were luxury objects collected as much for their artistic merit as for their practical use.

Dimensions: 4.5 inches high × 2.5 inches wide × 2.5 inches deep. Original stopper: 1.5 inches high.

Condition: Retains its original floral stopper. There are scattered losses and restorations to several applied flowers and petals, consistent with the fragility of this type of porcelain, while the overall composition remains remarkably complete and displays beautifully. The gilding retains an attractive warm luster, and the perfume bottle presents exceptionally well as a decorative object or addition to a Meissen porcelain collection. See less