Two 18th-century Goatherd Porcelain Scent Bottles, Chelsea And Kelsterbach

Two porcelain scent bottles, ascribed to Chelsea and Kelsterbach, modelled as goatherds, 18th century, circa 1760, in glazed white porcelain. The Chelsea example has metal mounts for the stopper and a grape and vine leaf finial; the Kelsterbach has a cork stopper and a finial of doves, 7.6 cm and 7.2 cm high, respectively.

Identification notes: We believe that the one on the left, with the metal-mounted stopper, is the Chelsea example. The stopper and shape match the one depicted in “The Chelsea Porcelain Toys”, G.E.Bryant, The Medici Society, 1925, Pg. 96, Pl. 27, No.6 (see images). There is also a small chip in the base rim (see Condition, below) where the porcelain has the chalky appearance of soft paste. However, we note that the Met Museum has a very similar example, Object Number X.709.1a, b, with the same finial, described as German hard paste.

Note how the example we ascribe to Kelsterbach is slightly shorter, has a thicker trunk, and has smaller grapes than the Chelsea example. The modelling is more sharply defined. Accordingly, we believe this to be hard-paste porcelain. The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, has this example, with silver mounts (Accession Number D404-1980), which they attribute to Kelsterbach.

The British Museum has examples of each. They ascribe the taller version (Museum number 1887,0307,II.114) with the thinner trunk to Chelsea, as do we. However, although they also identify the version with the thicker trunk (Museum number 1981,0101.238) as German, they attribute it to Fürstenberg.

Condition: The Chelsea example has a small chip to the base rim (and another there that is almost too tiny to note). Both examples have minor losses to the ends of vine leaves. No restoration was found to either under ultraviolet light.

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