Villeroy & Boch - Vase - vase with putti in Wedgwood style - Fine stoneware. - Made in Mettlach 1850

Subject: Figurative antique decorative vase with two fully sculpted putti/children and floral reliefs (roses/buds).
Manufacture: Attributed/Referable to Villeroy & Boch – Mettlach (Germany).
Model / Catalog Number: #327 (marked with A.B.).
Era: Mid-19th century – early Mettlach period (about 1860).
Style: Neo-Baroque / Rococo inspired by 19th-century tastes.
Technique and Materials: Fine earthenware / gray stoneware with an internal glaze, applied relief decorations (pâte-sur-pâte / Wedgwood style) and platinum/silver metallic lustre finishes.
The vase belongs to the early phase of the historic German factory at Mettlach (1840-1860), active within the former Benedictine abbey acquired by Jean-François Boch. In this period, production was characterized by much more limited editions compared to the late 19th century and by high manual sculptural quality.
The design draws on 18th-century Rococo canons, with sinuous curves, two plastically rendered putti figures climbing along the neck, and delicate hand-applied botanical details on the belly of the vase.
Relief Plaque Applied in Raw (327 A.B.): The model marking 327 and the modeller’s initials A.B. are stamped on a clay cartouche applied in relief before firing, a cataloguing system typical of mid-19th-century factory records.
Presence of codes and numbers incised on the fresh biscuit, indicating artisan-era workmanship.
Relief Sculpture Quality: Clear and fine definition of fingers, faces, and rose petals (pâte-sur-pâte), far from the flat or blunt shapes of modern counter-printed reproductions.
Natural wear of the Platinum Lustre: Consuмption and oxidation coherent and uniform at the rubbing points of the silvered metal highlights.
Bibliographic Reference: The model is catalogued and described in the reference collectors’ guide "The Mettlach Book" by Gary Kirsner.
Antique Figurative Vase Mettlach Villeroy & Boch #327 with Putti and Floral Reliefs (c. 1860)

Valued and rare antique vase in art pottery/stoneware, produced by Villeroy & Boch at Mettlach (Germany) in the 1860s (catalog model #327).

Belongs to the sought-after early period of Mettlach production, characterized by pieces produced in small, high-quality artisanal runs. Made in Neo-Baroque/Rococo style, featuring two fully sculpted putti/children climbing the vase neck and white relief floral decorations (Wedgwood-style pâte-sur-pâte), enhanced by platinum/silver lustre finishes.
The piece bears at the base the original embossed plaque with model number 327 and the initials A.B., along with hand-engraved factory codes in the raw state.

Condition:
Excellent overall vintage condition. No breaks, chips, or restorations detected on the sculpted parts and delicate floral reliefs. Shows natural, mild wear to the platinum lustre finishes, confirming authenticity and an original patina of over 160 years.

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