Centrepiece - Biscuit porcelain

This centerpiece develops on a base shaped like a large asymmetric shell or crumpled leaf (a hallmark of the organic vocabulary of Art Nouveau), decorated along the front edge with reliefs of grape clusters and fruit.

In the center of the composition rises a neoclassical female figure in a plastic pose, depicted wearing a draped gown in pale yellow and ivory tones, enriched with elegant gold and pearly relief details. In her right hand the woman holds a stylized lyre (with missing parts). Beside her stands a cherub (winged Cupid), looking with a sweet expression toward the viewer while holding a scroll. The little putto has his left arm glued from restoration but without missing parts.

The work combines the delicacy of biscuit porcelain (with a matte, velvety finish akin to marble) with the freshness and sinuosity typical of Bohemian and Austro-German manufactories of the early century.

Technical Details and Manufacture
Period: Approximately 1900 – 1915 (Art Nouveau / Belle Époque).

Manufacture: Attributable to the Bohemian/Austrian area, in the famous style of Royal Dux Bohemia or Amphora Teplitz (Ernst Wahliss). Although it does not show visible factory marks on the bottom (which is hollow as is traditional for these large pour-piece items), the ivory, olive green, and light ochre pigments, together with the golden spheres applied to the gown, are iconic material and iconographic elements typical of Austro-Bohemian productions of the period.

Material: Hand-painted biscuit porcelain with gold finishes and relief details.

Dimensions: Base width of about 21 cm (as visible from the photo with a measuring tape).

Condition
The object is in generally fair/good condition for its age, but shows some signs of time and small period restorations that attest to its history:

There is a chipping/loss on the jagged edge of the anterior shell (right side).

Presence of an old restoration line at the height of the putto’s left arm and wing.

Slight surface wear of the patina and dust accumulations in the cavities of the biscuit porcelain, not restored to preserve its originality.
(Please view carefully the rich photo gallery, which constitutes an integral part of the description).