Chinoiserie Meissen 18th century @ Bonhams, Fine European Ceramics including the Collezione Procida Mirabelli di Lauro

A rare Meissen pagoda figure. Circa 1720-25. photo Bonhams.

After a Chinese example, seated with his right hand resting on his raised knee, wearing a gilt-edged robe, with dark brown hair, moustache and eyebrows and red lips, 9.5cm high (right hand restored, nose chipped). Sold for £8,400

Provenance: Leonard Morgan May Collection, sold Sotheby's London, 5 March 1985, lot 193

Johann Friedrich Böttger borrowed eight white Chinese figures in 1709, including the present model, which were formed in stoneware and later in porcelain (Pietsch 1996, p. 21, and ill. 1 for two Böttger stoneware examples).

A rare Meissen octagonal beaker. Circa 1730. photo Bonhams.

Painted with scattered flowers and leaves and a circular medallion of iron-red flowerheads against a purple floral-patterned ground, 5.9cm high, caduceus mark in underglaze-blue, incised Japanese Palace inventory number N=351-/ W - Sold for £4,800

Provenance: The Royal collections of Saxony, Japanese Palace, Dresden

The 1770 inventory of the Japanese Palace in Dresden records: 'Vier Stück detto [Caffée-Tassen], ohne Henckel, der Boden inwendig à la mosaique gemahlt, 2 1/2. Zoll tief, 3. Zoll in Diam: und Drey darzu gehörige Schälgen, 1. Zoll tief, 5 1/2. Zoll in Diam: No. 351' {four similar [coffee cups] without handles, the base inside painted à la mosaique [...] and three matching saucers...) (quoted by Boltz 1996, p. 57).

A Meissen Hausmaler hot water jug and cover. Circa 1725-30. photo Bonhams.

Decorated in the Seuter workshop in Augsburg in gilding, each side with a chinoiserie scene on an elaborate scrollwork bracket, one with a figure riding a camel, gilt scrollwork borders to the rims, the handle and spout gilt, the cover similarly decorated, 17cm high, traces of lustre marks (cover repaired, some chips, some wear to gilding) (2) - Sold for £2,040

photo Bonhams.

Meissen chinoiserie figure of a mother and child. Circa 1745-50. photo Bonhams.

Carrying the child on her back, wearing a yellow hat, gilt-edged, green-lined white coat, dress decorated with indianische Blumen and blue shoes, 12.3cm high, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue to rear of base (restoration to hat) - Sold for £1,680

Footnote: A similar figure is in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (published by K. Butler, Meissner Porzellanplastik des 18. Jahrhunderts: Die Sammlung der Hermitage, no. 65. Another was sold in these Rooms, 14 May 2008, lot 104.

A pair of Meissen cups and saucers. Circa 1730. photo Bonhams.

Decorated with Kakiemon flowers and Chinamen in landscapes, the scenes in underglaze-blue with a gilt Hausmaler decoration, the saucers with similar decoration, crossed swords in underglaze-blue, (one small chip to saucer, some rubbing to gilding) (4) - Sold for £720

Provenance: With Don Peppino Giglio;
Acquired from the above in 1976;
Collezione Procida Mirabelli di Lauro, Naples, no. 147

A Meissen bottle cooler from the 'Red Dragon' service. Mid 18th century. photo Bonhams.

Painted in iron-red and gilding with dragons, phoenix and auspicious symbols, applied with entwined branch handles with flower terminals, brown-edged rim, 16cm high, crossed swords mark in underglaze-blue, impressed 21 (restored) -Sold for £660

Footnote: The 'Red Dragon' pattern was much admired at the Saxon Court and was subsequently produced at Meissen for its exclusive use.

A Meissen Hausmaler saucer. Circa 1720. photo Bonhams.

Decorated with so-called Inselchinoiserie of a Chinaman bowing for a central figure, placed in front of a terrace surrounded by kakiemon flowers, the rim with a gilt scrollwork band, 13.5cm diam (minor chips to back of rim, rubbing to gilding) - Sold for £504

Provenance: Collezione Procida Mirabelli di Lauro, Naples (no number)

This style of Hausmaler decoration has been traditionally attributed to Bayreuth, although it is not clear which hand this painting can be attributed to.

Bonhams. Fine European Ceramics including the Collezione Procida Mirabelli di Lauro. New Bond Street, 6 Jul 2010 www.bonhams.com