An opulent vermeil mounted Meissen porcelain tankard.
Decorated with a large quatrefoil gilt cartouche, the sides of which form consoles upon which Chinese figures are seated, containing a finely painted merchant navy scene in a Chinese landscape. Large sprigs of "indianische blumen" flank the handle. Blue crossed swords mark to the unglazed underside. The silver with Augsburg marks and maker's mark of either Paul Solanier or Johann Philipp I Schuch. The gilt edging of the rim slightly abraded by the mountings. H of porcelain 13.7, with mountings 16.6 cm.
Ca. 1725 - 30, decor in the manner of Johann Gregorius Hoeroldt. The Augsburg silver mountings probably made specially for the piece.
This tankard displays the opulent decor typical of the early years of the Hoeroldt workshop. Although the mountings are at first glance highly reminiscent of Paul Solanier's early régence decor, he is known to have died in 1724, which would be an exceedingly early terminus ante quem for the painting of the porcelain. It is also known that the style of blue enamel mark used on this piece was first developed in 1725. However, an almost identical hallmark was used by the Augsburg goldsmith Schuch, who also produced several mountings for porcelain. Schuch is recorded until 1733, and thus active at a time that would correspond more closely to the production period of the porcelain.
Provenance
From an old Rhenish family collection.
Literature
Cf. a tankard with a portrait of a musician and large Chinese figures in the Städtischen Museum Aschaffenburg (Rückert, Munich 1966, no. 147) and a tankard with similar Chinese figures and chinoiserie decor in the Schlossmuseum Arnstadt (cat. Exotische Welten, Leipzig 2010, no. 76 a).