Porcelain Candy Dish Decorated By Richard Klemm. Meissen And Dresden, 19th Century.

This rocaille-style cup is made of Meissen porcelain and was decorated by Richard Klemm (1852–1916) in his studio in Streisen near Dresden, which was in operation from 1869 to 1916. Klemm painted only the designs; the white porcelain came from the Meissen kilns. Featuring a design of very finely glazed flowers, rich gilding, an ambitious, delicate, and elegant form, and a beautiful mark, the piece is of excellent quality and represents an exceptional piece of porcelain created to satisfy a wealthy and discerning collector. On the underside is the Klemm mark—the Dresden crown surmounting an inverted “R” and a “K”—which suggests a date of creation in the 1870s; indeed, beginning in the 1880s, the workshop began adding the city’s name, “Dresden”—and sometimes “Germany”—to this simple mark. The marks are almost always in blue underglaze; ours, in black on a gold background, is an exception. However, it is noted that Klemm used gold to conceal the manufacturer’s marks on white porcelain; we believe that the use of gold on our bowl is a very skillfully executed example of this. This is a model that was widely copied at the time and continues to be copied today by other, less prestigious manufacturers, though none have matched the quality of Klemm’s early productions. Dimensions approximately 24x7 cm. Good condition.