A Berlin KPM porcelain vase with a portrait of King Frederick William III
Unidentified model, fired in two parts and screw-mounted. Recto with a biscuit porcelain relief bust of the king facing right in a gilt laurel wreath surround. Verso painted with trophies en grisaille on pale grey ground. Richly decorated with gilt arabesques and acanthus. The handles formed as eagles holding oak garlands. Blue sceptre mark with black dash below. With retouched fire damage (possibly from WWII), two restored vertical cracks, finial replaced/restored. H 48.5, D 29.8 cm.
Around 1815 - 16, model by Johann Carl Friedrich Riese, the portrait after Leonhard Posch.
This vase model is first mentioned in the catalogue of the Berlin Academy Exhibition in 1810: "A large vase [...] Bronze-like eagles, instead of handles, hold myrtle twigs in their beaks and a bronze-like pendant of oak leaves in their claws. Executed by Mr. Model Master Riese." (cat. Raffinesse & Eleganz, p. 472). Apart from this vase, which shows Queen Louise among children, Samuel Wittwer mentions four other examples of this model:
1. A vase with portraits of the four royals allied against Napoleon, which was delivered to King Frederick William III in 1815 and is today housed in the KPM porcelain collection.
2. A vase with cameo style portraits of rulers, delivered to Prince Frederick of the Netherlands in 1816.
3. Two other vases with relief portraits of Frederick William III.
It is thus safe to assume that this example was also produced for the king and was intended as a royal gift.
Provenance
Private collection, Rome.
Literature
Cf. Wittwer (ed.), Raffinesse & Eleganz Königliche Porzellane des 19. Jahrhunderts aus der Twinight Collection New York, Munich 2007, illus. 59 f., p. 56 f.
Cf. Forschler-Tarrasch, Leonhard Posch 1750 – 1831 Porträtmodelleur und Bildhauer, Berlin 2002, no. 65 a, for the plaster model of the portrait from 1815 in the Münzkabinett Berlin SMPK.