Pair Of Vases - Meissen Porcelain Mounted In Gilt Bronze, 19th Century

A pair of covered baluster-shaped vases in Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, resting on richly chased, gilt-bronze quadrangular bases. The bodies, with a deep cobalt blue ground, are lavishly decorated with scrolls, palmettes, and delicately gilt-highlighted borders. Each vase features a large, finely hand-painted, polylobed reserve on its body depicting gallant and allegorical scenes in the 18th-century style. The compositions, executed with great finesse and refined polychromy, are signed by the painter. The gilt-bronze handles, remarkably chased, are adorned with stylized figures and foliate motifs. The lids, also decorated with a blue ground and rich gilt highlights, are surmounted by finials in the form of stylized flames. The gilt-bronze mounts, probably made in Paris, reflect the refined taste of the second half of the 19th century for combining porcelain from major European manufacturers with luxurious mounts. The base of each vase bears the famous crossed swords mark in underglaze blue of the Meissen manufactory. On either side of this mark are two letters painted in blue, corresponding to the workshop marks, identifying respectively the decorative painter and the modeler—a characteristic practice of the manufactory that allows the work of the artisans involved in the creation of the piece to be traced. 19th-century work, circa 1860–1880. Height: 63 cm