COBALT BLUE ROYAL VIENNA STYLE COVERED PORTRAIT URN 100% HAND PAINTED

A finely executed antique Royal Vienna style covered urn that features 100% hand painting and is a strikingly beautiful piece of porcelain.  The base color of the vase is a cobalt blue color with a shiny finish to the glaze.  The vase features a portrait of a beautiful brown-haired young woman and the title of the portrait is “Reveuse and is painted after an original oil painting by the Italian born Parisian artist Angel Asti (1847-1903).  Regardless, the portrait on this urn is well executed by a very skilled artist.  The portrait is then surrounded by lavish hand-painted gold decoration and tiny gold enamel beading around the portrait area as well as the remainder of the vase and the lid.  This urn has been in my personal collection since 1995.  The pieces in my photos are the actual pieces you will receive.  Please be sure to read the “Approximate Dimensions” and “Age and Condition” paragraphs below.

The urn is artist signed with what appears to me to be the name “Richter”.  This signature is just to the left of the subject’s right shoulder.  On the underside of the urn there are the following identifying markings:  First, there is a red overglaze “beehive” mark and then there is the hand painted number “04593”, also in red, which is probably a decoration or style number.  There is also the subject of the portrait’s name hand painted in red “Reveuse” and the word “Germany” also hand painted in red.  There is also the word “Donuth” hand painted in red, which I believe is the name of the decorating studio.  Finally, there is a floral “paint-out” mark in gold done by the decorator to cover the mark of the porcelain maker.  For those of you who may not know, the decorating firms mentioned below, that did this sort of work, did not make their own porcelain but bought if from other companies that did.  These decorators would then often cover up the porcelain maker’s mark with a gold “paint-out” mark, such as this one.  This was a common practice for decorating firms at the time and several examples of these same types of marks are shown on pages 77 and 78 in the book Marks on German, Bohemian and Austrian Porcelain 1710 to the Present by Robert E. Rontgen. 

Since the original Royal Vienna factory closed in 1864 dozens of firms produced their own versions of the decorating style originally produced by this factory in what the following book describes as the “post-1864 private enterprise” period.  My source for this information is the book Godden’s Guide To European Porcelain by Geoffrey Godden from Chapter 5 entitled “Vienna and Vienna-styled Porcelains”.

I want to be clear that this piece is not an original Royal Vienna factory piece but is decorated in a style that is similar to the original Royal Vienna factory as described in the previous paragraph.

Many people put great emphasis on the “artist’s signature” or the “mark” on the underside of a piece of porcelain such as this.  However, as experienced collectors of Royal Vienna style porcelain we have come to realize over the years that the marks on the bottom of a piece (such as the “beehive” mark) and the artist signature (like “Wagner”) do not define the piece.  Instead, the style and quality of the decoration and the artistry of the portrait are what really matters.  As reinforcement for our beliefs, according to the beautiful book Hand Painted Porcelain Plates: Nineteenth Century to the Present by Richard Rendall and Elise Abrams “there were no less than sixteen Wagner’s actively painting china in Germany, Austria and Bohemia in the latter part of the nineteenth century” and “Attributions are impossible”.

Regardless, a strikingly beautiful, urn with great decoration and in great original condition!  Don’t miss this opportunity to own it.

I do my best to describe all items as accurately as possible and to the best of my ability.  Some of my photos may be somewhat lighter or darker than actual to better show detail or color.  However, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or with requests for additional pictures.  I will get back to you as soon as I am able.  I want your transaction with me to be exactly the way I want mine to be when I am the buyer.

Please take a moment and visit our eBay store “TNK Antiques”.  You can access our store through a link in any of our eBay listings.  Our store has many unique and interesting items in several different categories from 35 years of our dealing and collecting antiques and collectables.

Age and Condition

Circa 1900.

It is in excellent to near mint original condition.  Please look closely at the photos as they are an important part of my description of this item.  There are no chips, flea bites, cracks, hairlines or repairs to the porcelain on either the base or the lid.  The gold decoration appears to me to be in very close to mint condition with just the slightest amount of age-related wear or loss to the very top of the rim on the base and some noticeable wear around the neck of the base where the lid rests.  I will mention that none of this wear is visible when the lid is on the base.  The gold on the lid looks to be very close to mint condition.  I will also mention that the urn rocks slightly on a flat surface and that the lid is a bit of a loose fit.  I looked the urn and lid over carefully with a blacklight and see no evidence of damage or repairs.  The portrait area is unmarked.  Anything else you may think you see is a reflection in the photos due to the glossy finish on the vase.  Really in extremely fine condition for a 100+ year old piece of hand-painted porcelain.  Please keep in mind the photos may be blown up at least 8-10 times normal, so anything you see will look 8-10 times bigger in the photos than it really is.

Please note: if you see a dark spot in the photos, it is from my camera and is not a mark on the piece.  It will be either just to the right of center towards the bottom or slightly above center on the right side of the photo.

Approximate Dimensions

The urn is about 3.375” (8.6 cm) in diameter at the widest point and sits about 4.75” (12.1 cm) off the table at the top of the finial. 

Approximate Weight

About 6 ounces (171 grams). 

SALES TAX

Depending on which state you live in eBay may add State Sales Tax on your purchase.

PAYMENT, SHIPPING, Insurance & PACKAGING

For auctions, if you do not send an instant payment through PayPal, I will send you an invoice within 24 hours of the end of the auction.

PayPal is my preferred method for receiving funds and payment is expected within 3 days of the completion of the auction.  I will normally ship within 1-2 business days of receiving payment in my PayPal account.

Shipment will be via the USPS.  I estimate shipping costs at the time of listing and any difference between my estimated cost and actual will be refunded back to you through PayPal after the sale is completed.  On smaller items that weigh 12 ounces or less including the shipping container I will offer you the less expensive First-Class option.   On heavier items I will also offer a less expensive option to Priority Mail, if available.  A delivery confirmation (provides electronic tracking of the shipment) is included with all domestic shipments paid for through PayPal.  Please take the shipping costs into account when bidding.  If you purchase more than one item, I will do my best to combine shipping costs to save you as much as possible.  If you want your package insured, you must let me know in advance of payment.

Your actual shipping costs should be calculated automatically when you enter you zip code into eBay.

This item will be professionally packaged for maximum protection in shipping.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS

The only form of payment I accept from international buyers is Pay Pal.  No exceptions!

International shipments will encounter longer shipping times due to distance and Customs requirements.  The USPS says 6-10 business days, but it can take longer.    International buyers are responsible for all customs fees, duties, import taxes or other related customs or import charges and all our out-of-pocket costs incurred in the shipment of packages internationally.

International shipment options will be via USPS First Class Mail (when the item being shipped meets the requirements of that service) or Priority Mail when it does not.

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