Tag Archives: Meissen

BOOK REVIEW: Gouthière’s Candelabras

Gouthière’s Candelabras (Frick Diptych Series)

Charlotte Vignon and Edmund de Waal

UK£14.95 / US$19.95
Hardback ISBN 978-1-911282-47-1
D Giles Limited in association with The Frick Collection, New York, 2019

Frick

The combining of the contemporary artist and writer Edmund de Waal with the Frick’s Charlotte Vignon brings the tale of these candelabra to present day life. Two small white Meissen vases were mounted in late 18th century France by the remarkable chaser and gilder Pierre Gouthière and transformed into stunning candelabra that were originally purchased by the celebrated collector the duc d’Aumont.

It is a tale which considers the desire and wish for such objects in that 18th century period and then goes on to examine how that desire was turned into a reality that endures to the present time. It’s a great story beautifully told.

gilesltd.com

Book Review: THE MALCOM D. GUTTER COLLECTION OF EARLY MEISSEN PORCELAIN

THE MALCOM D. GUTTER COLLECTION OF EARLY MEISSEN PORCELAIN

EDITED BY MARIA SANTANGELO

Hirmer Verlag
ISBN-10: 3777429848
ISBN-13: 978-3777429847
£52.00

 978-3-7774-2984-7

In reviewing this book I should first like to say that I have known Malcolm for some nineteen years, usually meeting him each time he comes to London and so have been lucky to hear first hand some of the stories about how he acquired pieces for his amazing collection. The stories he so generously shares in this volume highlight what it is to be a true collector – the victories, the defeats and most importantly the ‘kismet’ when an object and collector eventually come together because that is the right outcome.

The quality of these items is remarkable and their history even more so. Malcolm explains how –  on  a limited budget as he is an academic – he has acquired these early Meissen pieces including those that were made for Augustus II’s Japanisches Palais in Dresden which was built to house his porcelain collections and which also included Chinese and Japanese porcelain. Malcolm has some of these too with the Japanese Palace’s inventory mark on them.  It is quite possible that such pieces were the inspiration for modellers and decorators at Meissen.

It really is a “Princely” collection and devotees of Meissen should be grateful for all the studying and hard work Malcolm put into forming this remarkable collection and for his promising it to the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. While I like porcelain I have never been particularly drawn to Meissen but this book has opened my mind to it in a way that I had not expected. That is really something for a book to achieve! So well done Malcolm in sharing your enthusiasm with a wider public and for allowing us to get a taste of what it is to be a collector of your magnitude.

 

http://www.hirmerverlag.de

Masterpiece London 2017 – Introduction

Masterpiece London 2017, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London SW3, 29th June – 5th July 2017

MASTERPIECE PRESENTS
Iván Navarro
Impenetrable Room
2017
Courtesy Paul Kasmin Gallery

Since its inception this fair has grown into one of the most must-visit events of the art and antiques year. Some thirty-seven thousand visitors last year! It attracts museum directors and private collectors from all over the world to see the artworks shown by a hundred and fifty international dealers. The artworks range from antiquity to the present time. The Royal Bank of Canada is once again the principal sponsor

This year the new MASTERPIECE PRESENTS will reveal a large-scale dedicated exhibition space at the entrance which has been transformed by a special artwork – Impenetrable Room, 2017. Created by the Chilean artist Iván Navarro it has been commissioned by the New York-based Paul Kasmin Gallery who are new exhibitors.

Over the coming days I look forward to sharing blogs on some of the leading dealers taking part.

www.masterpiecefair.com

Treasure Houses: The homes of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry

 

BOUGHTON

The House, its People and its Collections

By Richard, Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry

Photographs by Fritz von der Schulenburg

Published by Caique Publishing Ltd
ISBN 978 0 9565948 5 3 
£17.95 / $21.80 / 81.41 TL 

 

 

 

BOWHILL

The House, its People and its Paintings

Introduced by Richard, Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry

Edited by John Montagu Douglas Scott

Photographs by Fritz von der Schulenburg

Published by Caique Publishing Ltd
ISBN 978 0 9565948 2 2
£12.95 / $15.73 / 58.73 TL
 

 

DRUMLANRIG

The Castle, its People and its Paintings

By Richard, Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry

Photographs by Fritz von der Schulenburg

Published by Caique Publishing Ltd
ISBN 978 0 9565948 4 6
£10.95 / $13.30 / 49.66 TL
Paperback, 96 pages, Second Edition
 

These three guidebooks are much more than just that as they provide a fascinating introduction to the houses and collections of the incumbent Dukes.  You will encounter Rembrandt, Canaletto, Van Dyck and El Greco, as well as family portraits by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Ramsay, There are miniatures, French and English furniture, Sèvres made for Louis XV, items commemorating Sir Walter Scott and the Duke of Monmouth, silver and a huge variety of textiles and rugs. It is an extensive and engaging collection in three very different houses, two, Bowhill and Drumlanrig, are in Scotland and then Boughton in England which the late John Cornforth once described as ‘the English Versailles’.

These books are of serious appeal to anyone interested in the fine and decorative arts, architecture and historic interiors.

http://www.bowhillhouse.co.uk

http://www.boughtonhouse.co.uk

http://www.drumlanrigcastle.co.uk

http://www.caiquepublishing.com

 

South London Gallery and Meissen

Ian Davenport Plate 2 (c) Meissen

Ian Davenport Plate 2
(c) Meissen

The South London Gallery’s wide-ranging education work in support of children and young people within the local area is supported by the SLG Council. The Council is a group of art philanthropists and each year the members receive a limited-edition plate (edition of 26 unique plates) which is specially created at the world-famous Meissen factory.  The plates’ decoration this year has been done by the 1991 Turner Prize nominee Ian Davenport and reflects his bold abstract use of colour and unconventional painting process.

He said of the project:  “Earlier this year I spent a week in Meissen factory doing a research trip and making some prototypes for the project at South London Gallery. It was an incredible experience, learning about porcelain manufacture and the history of its development over the last 300 years. The factory is a treasure trove of different techniques, approaches and objects of this wonderful material. In collaboration with the art studio at the factory I began trying to find a way of making the glazes and colour work, pouring the liquid colours. It took a while and some raised eyebrows, but eventually we began to see the results. Making something of this kind, under time pressure and unsure of the process takes an act of faith from all parties but the positive outlook with which Meissen embraced this project, made it very enjoyable.”

Ian Davenport (c) Meissen

Ian Davenport
(c) Meissen

Meissen  are also proud of this connection and sum it up saying: “The value of supporting emerging talent and allowing their creativity to express itself, has been a subject at the core of Meissen since the start of the company, some 300 years ago. We are very proud to be supporting the South London Gallery’s education programmes, we feel this is an important initiative which will benefit the artists of tomorrow.”

 

http://www.southlondongallery.org

A Celebration of Tea Drinking

LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair 2016, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1, 13th – 18th September 2016

Famille Verte Teapot China, Kangxi period, ca.1690

Famille Verte Teapot
China, Kangxi period, ca.1690

Now in its eighth year this popular fair is the place to find fine pieces from across all disciplines. It is therefore appropriate that this year there is a select group of highlights from the Chitra Collection which celebrates tea over the centuries through the vessels and other paraphernalia involved in its drinking and preparation.

Tea Caddy, boîte à thé Sèvres, Louis-Jean Thévenet (painter) France, c. 1765

Tea Caddy, boîte à thé
Sèvres, Louis-Jean Thévenet (painter)
France, c. 1765

This is the first time pieces from the collection have been shown in the UK and its curator Olivia Fryman has selected items that reflect the long history of this beverage. Starting with the beginnings of the tea story in China and Japan, we then pass on to the growing interest and consumption of it in Europe (Catherine of Braganza, Charles II’s wife, introduced tea to this country) in the 17th and 18th centuries and then go on to see how it played an important role in the story of the British Empire. The last piece of this story looks at the global interest, especially in Russia and America, and how tea became a part of everyday life for many.

Copper Gilt Mounted Chinese Porcelain Teapot China and Germany, Kangxi period (1654 - 1722), mounts ca.1680

Copper Gilt Mounted Chinese Porcelain Teapot
China and Germany, Kangxi period (1654 – 1722), mounts ca.1680

The collection has been put together by the London-based businessman Nirmal Kumar Sethia, who says “The Chitra Collection will continue to inspire generations of tea lovers long after I’m gone. It is my wish that, for centuries to come, the world will be able to appreciate and experience the beauty and significance of tea, art and culture”. His interest has continued since he first started working as an apprentice tea buyer in London, aged 14. He started the luxury tea company Newby Teas in 2000.

Cup and saucer Meissen, J. G. Höroldt (painter) Germany, c. 1722-3

Cup and saucer
Meissen, J. G. Höroldt (painter)
Germany, c. 1722-3

There are in excess of 1700 tea-related objects in the collection which was named in memory of his late wife and I think you may agree from the selection illustrated here that it is a fascinating subject.

Teapot Royal Worcester, George Owen and Samuel Ranford England, 1878

Teapot
Royal Worcester, George Owen and Samuel Ranford
England, 1878

lapadalondon.com

Silver kettle and stand Paul de Lamerie England, 1751

Silver kettle and stand
Paul de Lamerie
England, 1751

Masterpiece London 2016 – Preview

Masterpiece London 2016, The Bull Ring Gate Entrance, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3, 30thJune – 6th July 2016

Nazy Vassegh, CEO of Masterpiece with J.F. Courville, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the RBC Wealth Management 2015 Courtesy Masterpiece London

Nazy Vassegh, CEO of Masterpiece with J.F. Courville, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the RBC Wealth Management
2015
Courtesy Masterpiece London

Now in its 7th edition one can easily understand why Masterpiece has become a magnet for collectors and museum curators from around the world.  There is a great emphasis on quality and connoisseurship and the pieces on show reflect more than five thousand years of art history – and yes they are for sale.

Vetting during Masterpiece London 2015 Courtesy Masterpiece London

Vetting during Masterpiece London 2015
Courtesy Masterpiece London

Masterpiece’s chief executive Nazy Vassegh says: ‘I am delighted to announce so many exciting additions to this year’s fair. Masterpiece 2016 will have unrivalled depth and quality, and I am pleased that Masterpiece continues to strengthen every edition. We are looking forward to another great year.’

It truly is a must visit fair and allow yourself plenty of time because there are so many exciting things to see and tempt. Like me you may well want visit more than once.

Vetting during Masterpiece London 2015 Courtesy Masterpiece London

Vetting during Masterpiece London 2015
Courtesy Masterpiece London

Over the coming days I will post varied selections of what is on show.

 

http://www.masterpiecefair.com

AUCTION ALERT – MEISSEN FIGURE, 25th May 2016

Matthew Barton – EUROPEAN & ASIAN WORKS OF ART, 25 Blythe Road, London, W14, 25 May 2016

I know that many of my readers have an interest in ceramics and I thought I would bring this rather unusual Meissen figure to your attention:

 

“Lot 6

6

A MEISSEN MINIATURE FIGURE OF A FRIESIAN SAILOR, CIRCA 1755

probably modelled by J.J. Kändler or J.F. Eberlein, the mustachioed figure with arms akimbo and wearing a grey knitted conical hat, pink doublet, pale green full breeches and black shoes, on a shaped circular flower encrusted naturalistic base, underglaze blue crossed swords mark to rear base

8.4cm high

 

This apparently unrecorded figure seems likely to be from the Meissen series of ‘Nations of the Levant’, modelled by J.J. Kaendler and J.F. Eberlein between 1748 and 1760, after prints taken from Le Hay and Ferriol’s Receuil de Cent Estampes representant Differentes Nations du Levant, published in 1712-13.  Confusingly this series includes non-Levantine Bulgarian and Hungarian figures, so may have included a sailor from Friesland.  See the British Museum No. 1871, 1209.2663 for a print of a ‘Matelot de Frise’, after Bernard Picart (Le Romain; 1673-1733), Amsterdam, 1728.  Variant costume plates of this mustachioed Friesian sailor figure, but always in the same akimbo pose, were widely circulated in Europe right through the 18th century.

£1000-1800”

 

 

http://www.25blytheroad.com

Sublime Gardens

 

Painting Paradise: The Art of the Garden, The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London SW1, until11th October 2015

Marco Ricci, A View of the Cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens, c.1715. Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

Marco Ricci, A View of the Cascade, Bushy Park Water Gardens, c.1715.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

This is a great exhibition which celebrates the idea of the garden through paintings, drawings, books and the decorative arts from the 16th to the early 20th century.

Mir 'Ali Sir Nava'l, Seven Couples in a Garden, c. 1510. Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

Mir ‘Ali Sir Nava’l, Seven Couples in a Garden, c. 1510.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

We see a Persian garden depicted in an Islamic manuscript, the gardens of Versailles and Hampton Court, Kew, Windsor and Osborne House. Works by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Jan Brueghel the Elder as well as late 19th and early 20th century watercolours and a Fantin-Latour painting.

Jan Brueghel the Elder, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, 1615. Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

Jan Brueghel the Elder, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, 1615.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

There is a wonderful selection of floral decoration on Bow, Chelsea, Meissen and Sèvres porcelains, textiles, furniture, silver, fans and jewellery, including pieces commissioned by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria and of course works by Carl Fabergé.

Workshop of Carl Faberge, Bleeding Heart, c.1900. Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

Workshop of Carl Faberge, Bleeding Heart, c.1900.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

This engaging exhibition appeals to most tastes as it reveals the garden as a place of beauty, a place for research and science, a place to relax and enjoy and a place to wonder at the glories of nature.

Thomas Tompion, one of a pair of sundials, 17th century. Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

Thomas Tompion, one of a pair of sundials, 17th century.
Royal Collection Trust / copyright Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

 

MASTERPIECE LONDON 2015 OPENS TOMORROW

MASTERPIECE LONDON 2015, South Grounds, The Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3, 25th June – 1st July 2015

 

Outside On the Red Carpet Masterpiece 2014. Photo credit Rory Lindsay

Outside On the Red Carpet Masterpiece 2014.
Photo credit Rory Lindsay

There is little doubt that Masterpiece London is a very special fair with objects spanning over 4, 000 years being shown by some 150 galleries. It is a magnet for both collectors and museums round the world and a place to see some outstanding treasures.

As its Chief Executive Nazy Vassegh explains, “The 8 days when Masterpiece takes place is the epicentre of the art season in London. After just five years Masterpiece is now firmly regarded as both a leading international art fair and a welcome addition to the summer season in London. We are particularly delighted by the exhibitors and partners that will join us for the 2015 edition.”

I do hope that many of you will be able to visit this exciting Fair and over the coming days I shall share some of the objects you may find there.

Interior shot of Masterpiece 2014

Interior shot of Masterpiece 2014

 

 Open to the public:

Thursday 25 June & Friday 26 June, 11.00–21.00

Saturday 27 June & Sunday 28 June, 11.00–19.00

Monday 29 June 11.00–21.00

Tuesday 30 June 11.00–18.00 (Followed by The Art Gala at Masterpiece in aid of the NSPCC from 19.00)

Wednesday 1 July, 11.00–21.00

 

2015 Ticket Prices:

 

General Admission Full Access: £42 per person (unlimited entry into the Fair on all Public Days between 25 June and 1 July)

General Admission: £25 per person (single day access)

Student Concession Ticket: £18 per person (with valid student ID)

Under 18s: Free

Phillip King sculpture at Masterpiece 2014. Photo credit Rory Lindsay photography

Phillip King sculpture at Masterpiece 2014.
Photo credit Rory Lindsay photography

 

http://www.masterpiecefair.com.