Vienna - Ornamental Porcelain Dish With Polychrome Enamel And Gold Decoration Depicting The Sleeping Beauties, Late 19th Century

VIENNA (Porcelain Manufactory) – A superb and substantial circular ornamental dish, crafted in polychrome-enameled porcelain with gold accents in slight relief. At its center—surrounded by a gradient of gray tones with silvery highlights—lies an ethereal, painterly composition: set within a landscape of rolling valleys and rocky, snow-capped mounds, three young women are shown in peaceful slumber. One of them holds a wreath of roses in her left hand—a flower symbolizing virginal purity, while also being associated with Love and the Spring. Whether interpreted as a dreamlike vision or an allegory of Nature slumbering before the awakening of Spring, this delicately painted scene is framed by a wide border (marli) featuring a refined design against a wine-red (lie-de-vin) background. This border is adorned with a frieze of acanthus-leaf scrolls painted in fine gold, interspersed with rectangular and oval reserves in shades of rose, emerald green, and midnight blue. These reserves are centered with stylized acanthus rosettes, embellished with beadwork and scattered star-like motifs. The entire composition is edged with brown-toned bands accented by enameled beading. On the reverse, a blue underglaze mark featuring the "striped shield" of Vienna—also known as the "Beehive" mark. A high-quality piece of late 19th-century porcelain craftsmanship.
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THE SLEEPING BEAUTIES
Bordered by a thin gold line, this remarkable porcelain piece—exhibiting a highly refined aesthetic—features a wide, wine-colored band along its rim, illuminated by acanthus-leaf scrolls painted in fine gold. This band is framed by brown-ground strips, embellished with delicate, raised enameled beading and ivory-toned ribbons adorned with strings of pearls and small, bar-like motifs. It is further punctuated by alternating rectangular and oval reserves—decorated with pearls and a scattering of stars—each centered with stylized, floral acanthus rosettes.
This exquisite ornamental lacework, enriched along its inner edge by a gold band festooned with delicate arches, serves as a frame for an expansive, polychrome pictorial composition. Reminiscent of a canvas from the late 19th-century Symbolist movement, the scene is imbued with a gentle, enchanting poetry. It presents an oneiric subject—perhaps an angelic dream, or an allegorical depiction of "Nature Asleep" before the arrival of Spring.
Set within a rolling landscape—punctuated by small rocky outcrops with snow-dusted plateaus and ridges, all wrapped in a mysterious, profound silence—two female figures appear in the foreground, seated together. They possess delicate features and graceful gestures. One of them, dressed modestly in an "antique" style, wears a serene expression, her shoulders framed by an enveloping veil. In her left hand, she holds a wreath of roses—flowers that symbolize purity and love, associated in the Christian tradition with the Virgin Mary, and in Greco-Roman mythology with Venus, while also being linked to Spring. Resembling a protective Madonna in her posture, she cradles a young woman with a bared breast, who rests against her bosom like a sleeping child; in the young woman’s closed eyes, one might "divine quiet and gentle dreams—very gentle" (Guillaume Apollinaire, *Le bon sommeil*, 1899). In the background, presiding over this profoundly serene group, an ethereal "naiad" is silhouetted, slumbering nonchalantly within a rocky formation jagged with stalactites.
Executed with finesse and sensitivity, this evanescent composition—characterized by delicate draftsmanship and fluid brushwork—is enhanced by a subtle color palette. Vibrant gradations of gray with refined, silvery highlights sit alongside touches of yellow, mauve, pink, and silky, ivory-toned whites, casting a vaporous halo that amplifies the poetic resonance of the subject.
With its grand scale, virtuosic craftsmanship, ornamental refinement, dreamlike allure, and delicate, harmonious palette, this magnificent and significant decorative platter stands out as one of the most original—and truly remarkable—high-quality artistic creations produced by the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory during the final years of the 19th century. A rare piece. *In the absence of a title—which would typically appear on the rim or the reverse of such porcelain pieces (platters, presentation plates, ceremonial tableware, etc.) characteristic of the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory—we have been unable to identify the artist or the precise subject of the original work upon which this painted porcelain piece is based.
Related literature: Impellio, Julia, *La Nature et ses symboles*, Paris: Éditions Hazan, 2004, pp. 118–125; *L'Empire du Sommeil*, exhibition catalog, Paris, Musée Marmottan, October 9 – March 1, 2026, Paris, 2026.
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Materials: Hard-paste porcelain with a polychrome-enameled ground and fine gold-painted highlights.
Marks: On the reverse, the blue-painted "striped shield" mark of the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory—also known as "A la Ruche" (At the Beehive). There are no inscriptions within the decoration or on the reverse to identify the artist or the specific title of the piece.
Dimensions: Diameter: 54 cm
A high-quality piece of porcelain craftsmanship dating from the late 19th century.
In excellent condition.