Fürstenberg - Cup and saucer (4) - Porcelain

Fürstenberg – Margrit Marr-Hartmann, Basel – Two Hand-Painted “Einzelmodell” Porcelain Cups with Saucers – Rich Gilding – 4 Pieces

An exceptional pair of individually decorated porcelain cup-and-saucer sets, hand-painted in Basel by Margrit Marr-Hartmann on fine white porcelain by the German manufactory Fürstenberg.

Both tall cups bear the blue Fürstenberg manufactory mark and are additionally inscribed by hand with “Handmalerei”, “M. Marr, Basel” and “Einzelmodell”. One of the saucers retains the original Marr-Hartmann, Gerbergasse 54, Basel atelier label.

Margrit Marr-Hartmann was a professional porcelain and glass painter who operated a specialist atelier in Basel. She was also the author of the specialist publication Porzellanmalerei. Gräser, Käfer, Schmetterlinge, published by Callwey in 1993 and later issued in a second edition.

The two sets form a harmonious ensemble, yet each is individually conceived and painted with a different ornamental composition.

The unusually tall, footed cups have an elegant, almost goblet-like form, with high sculptural handles and richly gilded interiors. Their decoration combines broad fields of gold with exceptionally fine hand-painted ornament.

The surfaces are articulated with an abundance of minute decorative details: delicate roses and violets, tiny blue flowers and garlands, floral medallions and cartouches, fine geometric latticework, dotted ornament, scrolling motifs and intricate white-and-gold borders. Contrasting areas of gilding and finely drawn ornament give the decoration remarkable depth and richness.

The corresponding saucers are equally elaborate. Measuring approximately 15 cm in diameter, they are relatively large and gently deep in form. Each continues the decorative language of its corresponding cup through complex concentric and radial compositions of gilded ornament, floral garlands, miniature flower medallions, geometric reserves and finely detailed borders.

Although clearly conceived as companion pieces, the two sets do not simply repeat the same decoration: each cup and its corresponding saucer constitute an individual ornamental composition, consistent with the handwritten designation “Einzelmodell”.

Dimensions

* Saucer diameter: approx. 15 cm
* Cup height: approx. 12 cm
* Maximum height to the upper point of the handle: approx. 14 cm

Marks and provenance

* Blue Fürstenberg manufactory marks
* Handwritten Handmalerei / M. Marr, Basel / Einzelmodell inscriptions
* Original Marr-Hartmann atelier label, Gerbergasse 54, Basel, preserved on one saucer

Condition
Excellent condition.

No chips, cracks or restorations observed. The extensive gilding is exceptionally well preserved, as is the delicate hand-painted decoration.

The detailed photographs form an integral part of the description and show the remarkable quality and complexity of the hand-painted ornament.

Lot comprises 4 pieces:
2 tall footed cups and 2 corresponding saucers.

A highly distinctive ensemble combining the quality of Fürstenberg porcelain with the elaborate, individually conceived hand decoration of the Basel porcelain painter Margrit Marr-Hartmann.