A very rare Meissen plate, circa 1725-30
Painted in underglaze-blue with a vignette of birds amidst foliage and flowers within concentric circles in the centre, and two large vignettes of peacocks and other birds flanked by flowers and foliage around the rim, 24.4cm diam., crossed swords and painter's mark Z in underglaze-blue, incised x inside the footrim - Sold for £7,200
Provenance: Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 14 June 1983, lot 82
Literature: Hoffmeister 1999, II, no. 296
Exhibited: Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 1999-2009
Another example of this very rare pattern is in the Arnhold Collection, New York (Cassidy-Geiger 2008, no. 211), where the author links the plate to the commissions for Augustus the Strong's Japanese Palace in Dresden, based upon the similarity to surviving vase garnitures, and drawings for the palace indicating that plates were intended for the cornices.
A rare Meissen kapuzinerbraun-ground pouring cup and saucer, circa 1730
Painted in underglaze-blue in Chinese style with circular medallions depicting a seated figure in a stylised landscape with buildings, enclosed by concentric circles, flowering branches and a trellis band, the saucer handles with flower sprigs, the saucer: 18.5cm across handles, crossed swords marks in underglaze-blue (within concentric circles on the cup) minute flat chip to edge of spout) (2) - Sold for £6,000
Provenance: Acquired in 1990
Literature: Hoffmeister 1999, II, no. 295
Exhibited: Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 1999-2009
A Meissen plate, circa 1730
Painted in underglaze-blue, enamels and gilding with a butterfly above flowering branches enclosed by a double-line border around the well, the border with flower-heads reserved against a band of iron-red scrolling foliage, two flowering branches on the reverse, 22.4cm diam., crossed swords mark and K in underglaze-blue - Sold for £2,280
Provenance: Acquired in 1980
Literature: Hoffmeister 1999, I, no. 167
Exhibited: Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 1999-2009
A similar plate was sold at Sotheby's New York, The Van Slyke Collection, 26 September 1989, lot 31 and another plate with the same decoration was sold at Christie's London, 10 July 2007, lot 52.
A Meissen gold-ground plate, mid 18th century
Painted in underglaze-blue with the 'Onion Pattern' reserved against a gold ground, possibly gilded in Augsburg, 21.9cm diam. crossed swords mark and indistinct painter's mark in underglaze-blue, impressed 6 or 9 - Sold for £2,160
Provenance: Anon. sale, Auktionshaus Stahl Hamburg, 1 September 1990, lot 234;
Acquired in the above sale
Literature: Hoffmeister 1999, I, no. 254
Exhibited: Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 1999-2009
A rare Meissen saucer, circa 1740-50
Decorated in underglaze-blue after the Chinese example with two anglers holding a fishing rod and a bamboo basket for fish, pine trees growing from the rocky side, a small stylised sun and birds in the sky, all within a basket weave border, 10.3cm diam., crossed swords mark and k in underglaze-blue, impressed 67 - Sold for £1,200
Provenance: Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 9 December 1997, lot 20;
Acquired in the above sale
Literature: Hoffmeister 1999, II, no. 299
Exhibited: Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 1999-2009
Based on a Kangxi example.
A similar cup and saucer is in the Hans Syz collection (Syz 1979, cat.no. 147). Another cup and saucer was sold at Christie's London, 30 November 1987, lot 95, and at Koller Auktionen, Zurich, 15 September 2009, lot 1602.
Bonhams. The Hoffmeister Collection of Meissen Porcelain Part 1, 25 Nov 2009. New Bond Street www.bonhams.com © 2002-2009 Bonhams 1793 Ltd
