A MEISSEN SILVER-SHAPED TWO-HANDLED TUREEN AND COVER, CIRCA 1740

A MEISSEN SILVER-SHAPED TWO-HANDLED TUREEN AND COVERCIRCA 1740Modelled by J.J. Kaendler and painted in the Kakiemon manner with cranes and birds in flight and with indianische Blumen, goat-mask handles, the cover with crown finial, un-marked, 32cm high, 31cm wide, 22cm deep approx.Provenance: Sotheby's, Important Furniture, Silver and Ceramics, where purchased by Count Manfredi della Gherardesca, 7th December 2010, Lot 35Johann Joachim Kändler (or often seen anglicised to Kaendler) (1706 -1775), born near Arnsdorf in Saxony and as the son of a pastor received a solid classical education which would later stand him in good stead. The Meissen Factory was the personal porcelain works of Augustus II, elector of Saxony and King of Poland (1670-1733) and it was whilst apprenticed to the Court Sculptor, Johann Benjamin Thomae (1682-1751) that his skills were noticed by Augustus and he was transferred to the porcelain works at Meissen in 1731 where he was apprenticed to the Senior Modeller Johann Jacob Kirchner. Kirchner resigned in 1733 and Kaendler took over his position. Examples of his most important works populate the world's finest museums and private collections and he remains one of, if not the most important porcelain modeller/sculptor in European history. It would be fair to say that Augustus II was obsessed with collecting both Chinese and Japanese ceramics which were housed in the purpose built Japanisches Palais in Dresden. The painters and modellers at Meissen would have had access to one of the finest collections of the time and the painted ornament of this tureen is essentially a copy of a Kakiemon one, from the area around Arita.Sotheby's noted in their description the following reference to J.J. Kaendler's work Reports (Arbeitsberichte): Kändler's work notes record, in August 1733: 1 gr.ovale Terrine mit Zierrathen versehen, anstatt der Henkel befinden sich 2 Bocksköpfe mit allerhand Zierrathen, oben auf der Decke ist Knopf mit durchbrochenen Zierrathen ( I large oval tureen decorated with ornament, instead of the handles there are two goat heads with all manner of ornament, on the cover the knop had pierced ornament). A very similar example was sold Sotheby's London, 28th June, 1973, lot 54