Sebastian Kuhn
Department Director
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Lot 17*
A Vienna, Sorgenthal, cased solitaire, circa 1801
3 December 2020, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £31,500 inc. premium
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Nette Megens
Head of Department, Director
Sophie von der Goltz
Head of Sale
A Vienna, Sorgenthal, cased solitaire, circa 1801
Painted with silhouette portraits depicting members of the royal family of Naples-Sicily within gilt snake and chain borders, the gilt-edged rims with a tooled gilt formal border of alternating floral and foliate motifs, in the original leather case, comprising:
an oval tray, depicting Ferdinand and Maria Carolina and inscribed in black 'Gage et symbol de ma amitié';
a coffee pot and cover, depicting Marie Amélie and Maria Theresia;
a sugar box and cover, depicting Leopold;
a milk jug and cover, depicting Carolina, inscribed 'pensez à nous tous' on the reverse;
and a cup and saucer, depicting Crown Prince Franz, the tray: 31.8cm across, shield marks in underglaze-blue, impressed date codes 800 and 801, further impressed P (the tray), 25 (sugar bowl), 47 (cup) and 8 (milk jug), some incised marks, applied paper labels to tray inscribed 198 and printed 387 (the milk jug cover broken into three and restuck, flat chip to spout of milk jug, slight wear to gilding on tray) (10)
an oval tray, depicting Ferdinand and Maria Carolina and inscribed in black 'Gage et symbol de ma amitié';
a coffee pot and cover, depicting Marie Amélie and Maria Theresia;
a sugar box and cover, depicting Leopold;
a milk jug and cover, depicting Carolina, inscribed 'pensez à nous tous' on the reverse;
and a cup and saucer, depicting Crown Prince Franz, the tray: 31.8cm across, shield marks in underglaze-blue, impressed date codes 800 and 801, further impressed P (the tray), 25 (sugar bowl), 47 (cup) and 8 (milk jug), some incised marks, applied paper labels to tray inscribed 198 and printed 387 (the milk jug cover broken into three and restuck, flat chip to spout of milk jug, slight wear to gilding on tray) (10)
Footnotes
Provenance:
Heinrich Rothberger Collection, Vienna (by 1904);
Confiscated by the Vienna municipal authorities in November 1938;
Acquired by the Städtische Sammlungen Vienna, Historisches Museum, in August 1940 (inv. no. 68.918/1-10);
Restituted to Heinrich Rothberger's niece, Mrs Bertha Gutmann, in 2003;
Thence by descent
Literature:
E. Sturm-Bednarczyk/C. Jobst, Wiener Porzellan des Klassizismus (2000), no. 120
Exhibited:
Vienna, K.K. Oe. Museum für Kunst und Industrie, Alt-Wiener Porzellan, March-May 1904, no. 1708
The silhouettes depict:
King Ferdinand and Queen Maria Carolina of Naples-Sicily on the tray;
Crown Prince Francesco (later King of the Two Sicilies) on the cup and his consort, Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria, on the saucer;
Prince Leopold (sixth and youngest son of Ferdinand and Maria Carolina) on the sugar bowl;
Princesses Maria Amalia (later Queen of the French) and Maria Theresia (Empress of Austria), daughters of Ferdinand and Maria Carolina;
Maria Carolina (later Duchess of Berry), daughter of Crown Prince Francesco
Maria Carolina of Austria married King Ferdinand IV of Naples in 1768. She was one of the daughters of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, who had orchestrated the marriage to ensure the continuation of the Habsburg empire throughout Europe. Maria Carolina grew up in the midst of precious and important porcelain, understanding its worldly and diplomatic value. Indeed, in 1744 Empress Maria Theresa had taken over and saved the financially failing Du Paquier porcelain factory, ensuring the continuation of the porcelain production in Vienna. Upon her marriage Maria Carolina brought the taste for Viennese neo-classical porcelain to Naples, inspiring her husband Ferdinand IV to re-start the porcelain production in Naples with the Real Fabbrica Ferdinandea manufactory in 1771.
The relationship between Naples and Vienna continued when Maria Theresia, the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria Carolina, married Archduke Franz of Austria in 1790, later the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II, and Emperor Francis I of Austria.
The portraits in the present lot are after silhouettes by Franz Deiwel, court artist to the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II. It is possible that this service was commissioned by Maria Carolina as a gift to her daughter, Maria Theresia, on the occasion of Maria Carolina's visit to Vienna in 1802 (see above Literature, p. 118).