103 - Small courtly Meissen ceremonial tureen for Maria Josepha of Austria, wife of King August III of Poland

Small courtly Meissen ceremonial tureen for Maria Josepha of Austria, wife of King August III of Poland so-called “Drüselkästchen.” Oval body supported by four extended volute feet, with multiple kinks, double walls, and an ornate openwork design. Handles on the sides in the form of a sculpted female bust with a feathered headdress. Rich sculptural decoration featuring small putto figures, connected by floral garlands and drapery. On both sides of the body, cartouches crowned with shells, depicting scenes of merchant voyages. Matching lid with a fully sculpted knob, designed as a royal crown with an imperial orb on a cushion, flanked by seated putti. Rocaille cartouches run around the perimeter, featuring alternating depictions of the Polish-Lithuanian royal coat of arms and the Saxon coat of arms, along with a half-length portrait of King Augustus III. The underside of the lid features a floral relief. Polychrome painting and rich gold decoration. Interior walls gilded. Designed by Johann Joachim Kaendler. Model No. B 136. Minimally restored; sword mark. Height 20.5 cm. 24 cm x 20 cm. This version was created based on a model of a Drüsel box that Maria Josepha of Austria (1699–1757), wife of King August III of Poland, commissioned from Johann Joachim Kaendler. This box, shaped like an ornate tureen, was used for “storing plucked threads to be used for embroidery and the like.” See Zimmermann, Meissner Porzellan, 1924, p. 140. Ducret, Porzellan des 18. Jhs., fig. 16, p. 31. A small, splendidly decorated porcelain tureen, originally made for Maria Josepha of Austria, wife of King August III of Poland. Minor chipping/restoration. Mark of crossed swords. Meissen. 19th century.