Magnificent 19th-century Andenne porcelain bridal vase decorated with roses and gold.
The extraction of Andenne plastic clay (Belgium) dates back almost a millennium. When Europe discovered Chinese porcelain at the beginning of the 16th century, it was amazed by its qualities: whiteness, translucency, resistance to scratching by steel, and hygiene. The difficulties and costs of importing these extraordinary ceramics from the Far East made them extremely luxurious products reserved for the privileged. Westerners very quickly wanted to imitate the Chinese. In vain, because the secret of porcelain manufacture was well kept. Attempts were made to imitate it without managing to combine all its qualities. This is how soft-paste porcelain and fine earthenware were composed. In the Southern Netherlands, only soft-paste porcelain and fine earthenware were produced until the end of the 18th century. Hard-paste porcelain developed there under French rule (source: Bibliotheca andana, Hauregard Collection). Andenne thus saw the development of numerous earthenware and porcelain factories on its territory, which produced marvelous pieces in the 18th and 19th centuries that delight collectors.
Great finesse of the decor: flowers, leaf veins, dominant turquoise...
Dimensions: width: 39 cm by 18 cm, height: 27 cm, base: 26 cm by 15.5 cm, weight: 3.194 kg.
Good general condition, but several small old restorations to note (2 leaves at the front on the base and the left side, 1 leaf at the back and 1 stem at the back, see photos) which do not detract from the beauty of the piece!
Careful shipping.