Meissen Porcelain Square Dish, Watteau Scenes and Black Ground, C.1850-1870

An exceptional antique German porcelain square dish, produced by the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory in Saxony, circa 1850-1870. The dish has an elegant shaped square form with gently raised sides and projecting rounded corners, richly decorated with elaborate hand-painted ornament and gilding.

The surface is arranged with quatrefoil reserves surrounding a central black-ground floral panel, creating a highly structured and symmetrical composition. Two opposing white reserves are finely painted with fête galante scenes after Antoine Watteau, depicting elegantly dressed couples in romantic parkland settings, while the contrasting black-ground fields are decorated with colourful hand-painted flower bouquets. The decorative fields are divided by broad gilt ornamental bands with scrolling foliage and stylised motifs. The exterior of the dish is additionally hand-painted with scattered polychrome floral sprays.

The underside bears the authentic underglaze cobalt-blue Meissen crossed swords mark with two factory wheel-cut cancellation lines, together with the impressed pattern number 15 and technical production number 3. The two cancellation lines indicate that the dish was classified by Meissen between 1852 and 1870 as tableware that did not meet the manufactory's highest quality standard. The most evident manufacturing irregularity is the small raised kiln-related deposit on the underside, caused during firing and deliberately left rather than ground completely flush. The dish was nevertheless finished with exceptionally elaborate and costly decoration, including Watteau scenes, black-ground floral painting and extensive gilding, indicating that the firing irregularity was not considered significant enough to compromise the piece as a highly decorated Meissen product.

The dish belongs to the so-called Pommel period of Meissen production, beginning around 1850. During this period, the manufactory revived celebrated 18th-century forms and decorative traditions with the technical precision and rich palette characteristic of 19th-century Meissen. The period takes its name from the distinctive crossed-swords mark with pronounced rounded pommels at the sword hilts. The present dish, with its dramatic black-ground decoration, elaborate gilding and Watteau scenes, is a fine example of this historicist taste.

Dimensions: 21 × 21 cm; height 3.8 cm; weight 548 g. Condition: minor wear to the gilding and a small chip to one corner. Otherwise in excellent antique condition. Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. Shipping costs include handling, packaging and postage.