Lot 463
RARE MEISSEN ANTHROPOMORPHIC PART TEA SERVICE
LATE 18TH CENTURY
Auction: Five Centuries: 16 November 2023 From 10:00
Description
the cups and saucers of wrythen and basket weave moulded form; each piece painted to the centre with a humorous vignette of an animal engaged in various pursuits, such as a cat washing laundry, a fox carrying two baskets containing ducks and eggs, a kitten playing a lute to dancing mice etc.; all within a trellis border issuing sprays of flowers; with purple scale ground decoration to the gilt edged rims; comprising a teapot with matched cover, five saucers and three tea cups; underglaze blue crossed swords marks
Dimensions
teapot 11.5cm high, saucers 13.5cm diameter, cups 17cm high
Provenance
Provenance: Property of the late Mrs. Jean Bogie
Footnote
The anthropomorphic scenes on the porcelain in this group relates to a tradition of decoration inspired by characters in fables by writers such as Aesop and La Fontaine, which had been translated into prose by the 18th century in Germany and which would have circulated widely in educated society. The scenes were intended to point out the foibles of humanity and would have been humorous to an 18th century audience, who would have recognised the references to popular fables. The activities of the animals depicted are quite curious and specific and likely relate to a particular fable source. Anthropomorphic services created at Meissen are rare and few are in existence.