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Member of the Month at The Devenish Group

Sun, 1 Apr 2012 17:08:08 +0100

I would like to thank Louise, Troy and the entire team at The Devenish Group for the honour and distinction of being Member of the Month for April 2012. I hope it's not an April Fools joke!

I have been fortunate enough to know Louise Devenish for seven years this summer and her friendship and support have been a constant comfort. Her great charm and boundless enthusiasm never ceases to impress and I am a better person for knowing her and for being counted as one of her Circle.

Though I am far away from many of you and unable to share in some of the events held across the pond I look forward to welcoming you all should travel plans bring you to Jolly Olde England. Connections and sharing are what this group is all about and I'm proud to be counted as a Resource and a Friend. I look forward to my next visit to New York and seeing you all in person, my frequent flyer miles are piling up!

Louise has the Midas touch and I'm chuffed to bits to be included in this Circle of specialists.

Thank you,

Jorge Luis Gonzalez AAA

Important Sale of Porcelain at Sotheby’s London - Meissen

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 07:25:31 +0000

This past Wednesday, the 14th of March Sotheby’s London held a Single Owner sale of property from “The Collection of Giovanni & Gabriella Barilla: Important Porcelain, Venetian Fine and Decorative Arts from their Residence in Geneva”. Realising $7,173,834, well above the pre-sale estimate of $4–6 million, the auction was 89 % sold by lot and 96 % sold by value. In one of the most exciting auctions in a long time, willing buyers from across the globe engaged in tense bidding resulting in some spectacular prices being achieved. The top porcelain lot was a figure of Harlequin Alarmed, modeled by J.J. Kändler, circa 1738-40 that realised more than three times its pre-sale estimate.

Regrettably, the choice pieces of Capodimonte and the exquisite examples of Commedia Dell’Arte figures from the lesser manufactories failed to find the admiration of buyers they so much deserved. On the other hand, the auctioneer only had to use the word Meissen in describing a lot and a tangible excitement engulfed the room.

The first lots of Della Robbia faired better than expected. As the steam started to build with the first 24 lots of Meissen wares, an encyclopaedic group of early forms and decoration, lot 119 broke through the stratosphere. A dizzying free for all when the Commedia figures came to the podium. Standing 7” tall the grotesque Harlequin Alarmed, his face and body contorted leaning on a white tree stump, is not the most important figure in Kändler’s littany of Commedia figures. Originally estimated at $40,000 to $55,000 no one was satisfied until $190,096 (with buyer’s premium) was achieved, a price heretofore only aspired to by the best groups in the cannon.

All of the Meissen lots did respectably well, sadly the Buen Retiro star of the sale a Commedia group of spaghetti eaters (Barilla spaghetti?) failed to sell. A number of very important and rather fantastic Kloster-Veilsdorf figures failed to find respect. Happily, a wonderful little Doccia ewer came in 4 times it’s original estimate and the Vezzi porcelain did very well.

Mr Barilla, originally from Parma Italy was the grandson of the founder of Barilla Pasta the largest pasta producer in the world. In the 1970’s he sold his share of the company and moved his family, along with their important collection of Venetian furniture, to Switzerland. It was there that Mrs Barilla unleashed her passion and strove to develop one of the most important collections of European porcelain in private hands. Collections like this do not come to market often and I’m grateful to Sotheby’s and in particular Alice Bleuzen for the access and fantastic images. Full results are available from Sothebys.com at the following:

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2012/the-collection-of-giovanni-and-gabriella-barilla/overview.html?cmp=L12309_0312_1_SALexample2_Event_hero1

For a fantastic tome on the Commedia Dell’Arte see Meredith Chilton’s “Harlequin Unmasked: The Commedia Dell'Arte and Porcelain Sculpture” written in conjunction with an exhibition at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto in 2001.

1. A Meissen Figure Of Harlequin Alarmed, J.J. Kändler, c 1738-40 $190,096

2. A Buen Retiro Italian Comedy Group Of "The Spaghetti Eaters", prob G. Gricci, c 1770 est $23,000 - $39,000

3. A Böttger Stoneware Teapot & Cover, J.J. Irminger, c 1715 $92,265

4. A Meissen Augustus Rex Bottle Vase, c 1730 prob Von Lôwenfinck, 8 5/8” high $114,841

5. A Böttger Porcelain Hausmaler Cream-Pot, Cover & Stand, the porcelain c 1720 decorated by Seuter workshop Augsburg, $7,447

6. Meissen Two-Handled Beakers, c 1722 painted with a Harlequin ready to swat a fly

7. A Meissen Group Of Pantalone And An Actress, J.J Kändler, c 1738 $137,418

8. A Meissen Figure Of Harlequin With Pug Hurdy-Gurdy, J.J. Kändler, c 1738-40 $133,655

9. Meissen Figures From The Weissenfels Series, Peter Reinicke, c 1744 all sold & most substantially above estimate

10. A Rare Doccia 'Stampino' Ewer, c 1745 $8,819 (four times it’s estimate)

11. A Capodimonte Commedia Dell'arte Group, modelled by G. Gricci, c 1750 $43,114 (far below estimate)

12. Sotheby’s London “The Collection of Giovanni & Gabriella Barilla” all prices Hammer with Buyer’s Premium

Vienna - Du Paquier, Meissen and Sevres

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:34:31 +0000

The first weeks of February may not be everyone's dream time for a visit to central Europe but with Ball season in full swing and with lots of delicious sweets (and porcelain) on offer I'm well chuffed to have made a little pilgrimage to Vienna.

The current capital of Austria and from 1526 to arguably 1918 the capital of the Hapsburg empire, Vienna is a treat for all of the senses. The incomparable art and architecture along with -14°C temperatures and a light dusting of snow worked together to create a sublime experience. That and dancing until bandages were required at 3 am made for a great mid-winter excursion.

My excursion began with a requisite visit to the Kunsthistorisches Art History Museum on the Ringstraße the inner ring road that circumnavigates the palace and central historic district. The Kunsthistorisches houses many wonderful treasures and is mirrored across the Maria-Theresien-Platz by the Natural history museum. An important collection of works by Brueghel and a beautifully restored Madonna of the Meadow by Raphael crowned the impressive galleries. Regrettably, the decorative arts section was closed for refurbishment and hence, no pictures to share here.

Directly across the Ringstraße is the Hofburg royal palace complex and its Schatzkammer or imperial treasury. Along with robes and mantles embroidered with gold and silver in dimly lit rooms are a number of secular and ecclesiastical objects of all manner shape and composition. The highlight for me was a pair of well-presented cases exhibiting the most impressive Meissen porcelain altar garniture I’ve ever seen.

The Elector of Saxony Augustus III sent the garniture for presentation to his mother in-law the Dowager Empress Wilhelmine Amalia on her Naming Day in July 1740. The pieces all date from 1737 to 1741 and stand an impressive 18" 20"on baroque bases emblazoned with the Dowager Empress' coat of arms. All in white porcelain, lavishly gilt and consisting of 12 apostles modelled by Kändler and based on the statues in the nave of the basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome (1706-1718).

Only eight of the apostle figures are on view along with six candlesticks, a bell, aspergillum (a liturgical implement used to sprinkle holy water), porcelain frames, and a crucifix on base standing nearly 3 feet tall.

The next stop in the Hofburg complex was a visit to the Imperial Silver Collection. A series of well planned and executed rooms with lots of white light and glass cases. Here the curators have decided to stock every single knife, fork, plate, and cup from the impressive Imperial kitchens. Treats for a silver or ceramics aficionado like myslelf but, as expected, the sound of snowfall could be heard in the chambers.

The majority of the collection centres on 19th century tableware and stacks of silver impressive enough to make a bishop blush. The most impressive room contains the two 18th-century Sèvres services and a suite of two olio pots and one tureen with covers and stands.

This dinner and dessert service with the green ribbons was a choice gift from the French king, Louis XV, to Empress Maria Theresa in 1758. It was intended as a sign of rapprochement between France and Austria following the war of Austrian succession.

Consisting of 185 pieces and produced between 1756 and 1757 the shapes designed by Duplesis, based on silver originals and the flower decoration all hark back to earlier styles developed at Vincennes. Three distinct desirability factors work to make this a great service.

• The well executed implementation of the newly developed green ground
• High quality and extensive gilding with multiple burnishing and patterns
• The inclusion of figural painting in the trophies and putti on clouds along with birds on landscapes on many of the service pieces

In addition to the originals, a pair of sauceboats is on display in hard-paste porcelain produced at the Vienna Imperial Porcelain manufactory before 1783.

Emperor Joseph II brought the second service back to Vienna after the 1777 visit to his sister Marie-Antoinette at Versailles. A gift comprising 500 porcelain objects from Sèvres included 295 pieces of the apple-green dinner and dessert service now known as the Emperor Joseph II Service. Of soft-paste porcelain with a rich green ground and extensive gilding the shapes hark back to an earlier time at Sèvres and the restrained decoration proclaim this to be a transitional service.

In addition to the apple-green service, a number of pieces in the newly developed hard-paste formula complement the gift. Two 'Sheaves of Corn' tureens and two olio pots all with their respective covers, liners, and stands were sent to Vienna, three of these are visible impressively in the centre of the room. The sculptural gilded decoration representing sheaves of corn together with the fruit, agricultural produce, flowers, eggs, sea creatures as well as gardening and agricultural tools, symbolise the fecundity of nature.

An additional part of the gift, a pair of monumental hard paste vases Bachelier à anses élevées or Bachelier rectifié adorn the impressive Hapsburg banquet exhibit in the Imperial apartments. Begging as I did I was not able to procure an image, thank you Flikr…

On my second day in Vienna, a gentle day after the Ball, a slow visit to the mother lode for Du Paquier porcelain at the Osterreichischen Museum fur Angwandte Kunst (MAK) was on the agenda.

The porcelain manufactory established in Vienna by Claudius Du Paquier was the second in Europe after Meissen to produce true porcelain in the style of the Chinese. This was only possible through the aid of Samuel Stözel, a kiln master from Meissen who arrived in Vienna in 1718. Though his stay was brief (he returned to Meissen in 1720 taking with him Johann Gregor Höroldt) the Du Paquier manufactory was off to a strong start that lasted 25 years.

Du Paquier produced porcelain of great beauty, notable for its quirky style and bold colour palate that is the epitome of baroque porcelain as we know it.

Upstairs the MAK has some impressive displays of Wiener Werkstadt pottery along with some enchanting 19th century pieces but two outstanding displays on the ground floor and the basement ceramic study galleries are the be-all end-all for Viennese porcelain.

Just behind an almost unnoticeable white wall is the magnificent Dubsky Room. An 18th century porcelain cabinet almost entirely decorated with Du Paquier vases, furniture and plaques and a unique testament to a bygone era. I was lucky enough to attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art symposium held in honour of the publication of the seminal tome “Fired by Passion: Vienna Baroque Porcelain of Claudius Innocentius Du Paquier” Arnoldsche publishers in 2009. Dr. Samuel Wittwer gave a riveting presentation on the Dubsky Room, the video transcript of which follows:

Dressed Up in Porcelain: The Du Paquier Porcelain Room in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna

An impressive all white table centerpiece entices in the Rococo gallery. Produced by the Imperial Porcelain manufactory, which followed the Du Paquier venture from 1744 to 1784, the 14 foot mirrored base supports 60 figural groups, individual figures, and vases. Originally ordered for the jubilee of the ordination of the Abbot Rayner I. Kollmann of the Zwetti Monastery in 1768 it was transported by carriage in three crates and is outstanding for it's completeness.

The last and certainly not least wonder at the MAK would have to be their unparalleled collection of Viennese porcelain (along with some wonderful Meissen) housed in their subterranean ceramics study gallery. The collection runs the gamut from 1718 to early 20th century pieces and is a treasure trove not to be missed.

My last day in Vienna was devoted to an excursion to the summer palace of Schönbrunn. Situated just a short train ride from the city centre the palace said to rival Versailles was well positioned for disappointment. Granted whenever someone proclaims a palace to be a rival to Versailles what they are doing is making an empty statement. I would suggest that the end of the ancient regime somehow protected Versailles, encapsulating it as it were in a time and place Schönbrunn shows her age having been a working Imperial residence through the early part of the 20th century.

The palace does contain three porcelain rooms in true 18th century fashion. The Oval Chinese Cabinet and the Round Chinese Cabinet flank the Small Gallery in typical Schloss fashion. Rococo boiseries frame Chinese lacquer panels and support consoles or brackets holding examples of blue and white Chinese porcelain. Access to these two rooms is denied which is a pity as the beauty is in the details.

A third porcelain room contains some 19th century Meissen lighting fixtures but is decorated in a charming trompe l'oeil. The carved boiseries include frames, painted blue and white to imitate porcelain. These cover the walls entirely up and onto the ceiling and are set with 213 pen-and-ink chinoiserie drawings.

I will end the visit with the surprise discovery. Unexpectedly and with no fanfare was the Meissen bust of Charles VI modeled by Kändler in 1746. Obviously slumped during firing, the red velvet covering the base would mean something else has gone awry. One of a series of 18 "Imperial" or Hapsburg busts in half-size produced between 1744 and 1747 the fact that it was encased in plexiglas on a table behind a rope gave it away as a treasure.

For more in-depth discussion of the Meissen altar garniture and the bust of Charles VI please see Johanna Lessmann's "Meissen Porcelain for the Imperial House in Vienna", chapter 6 in Maureen Cassidy-Geiger's "Fragile Diplomacy" Bard press 2007.

For more on Sèvres services see David Peters, “Sèvres Plates and Services of the 18th Century”, Little Berkhamsted, 2005. Michelle Beiny will be exhibiting a bottle cooler from the Emperor Joseph II Service at TEFAF Maastricht 16-25 March 2012.

Winterthur Ceramics Conference: Wining, Dining & Ceramics!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:53:54 +0000

Eagerly anticipating the annual Ceramics in America conference coming April 26-27 in Wilmington Delaware. This year’s conference promises to entertain with a focus on the material culture associated with beverage and dinnerware and the entertainments popular in the 17th through 19th century.
The conference is followed by the opening of the exhibition ‘Uncorked! Wine, Objects & Tradition’ which runs from April 28 through January 6, 2013.

New York Ceramics Fair on DevenishGroup.com

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:44:12 +0000

For the full write-up click HERE for a link to www.devenishgroup.com

American Ceramic Circle (ACC) and Americana Week in New York

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:28:19 +0000

Courtesy of the ACC “Adrienne Spinozzi, ACC member and Research Associate in the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has very kindly put together a listing of ceramics-related exhibitions, gallery shows, and installations on view in New York during January. Since many of us travel to New York for Antiques Week, Adrienne felt that this listing might help us see more fabulous ceramics while we’re there.”
Thank YOU Adrienne, it’s a great time to be in New York and this is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Ceramics (with a capital C).

Study Day at The Wallace Collection with Dame Rosalind Savill

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:49:25 +0000

This morning, in trying to upload some pictures of my Christmas tree to Facebook I discovered a trove of lost images from the Sèvres study day I attended October 3. Wallace Director Dame Rosalind Savill was kind enough to share a parting gift with a small group in her office on the second floor at Hertford House. Though I secretly wished we would have a hands on with the Catherine II wine cooler I was so happy and grateful for the opportunity to be there and take part in this fantastic opportunity. Below find a link to some of the best images I was able to capture. Many of the pieces had severe condition issues, obviously and there was a nice 19th century overpainted bleu celeste square dish, some new pieces and some personal pieces from Dame Savill herself. My favorite was the table sugar bowl above, I’ll have to research those some other day, the best I can come up with today is from Kit Maxwell’s French Porcelain of the Eighteenth Century where he attributes the decoration to “possibly” Pierre-Louis-Philippe Armand and about 1752. A link to the object on the V&A website here.