An Imperial KPM Cobalt Blue-Ground Topographical Vase, Frederick the Great Scene

Description

A 19th Century Imperial KPM Cobalt Blue-Ground Topographical Vase, Frederick the Great Scene. This monumental cobalt blue-ground porcelain vase was produced by the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM) in Berlin and bears the underglaze blue sceptre mark along with the imperial orb and eagle within a roundel. The form, referred to in KPM’s archival records as Französische Form mit Greifenkopfhenkeln, is distinguished by its amphora-like profile, upright neck, and high foot ring. The body rises from a stepped square gilt base and domed socle to a tall ovoid form that tapers sharply into the neck, which is cylindrical and upright. The vase is affixed at the shoulders with a pair of large applied handles in the form of gilt griffin heads, mythological beasts rendered with hooked beaks, curling tongues, and feathered crests, scrolling downward into voluted terminals set against the upper body. The exterior is fully covered in a deep cobalt blue glaze, interrupted only by a single large rectangular reserve on the front and gilt bands outlining the structural transitions. The reserve is framed in matte gilt borders with foliate corner details and contains a hand-painted polychrome topographical view showing the equestrian monument of Frederick the Great on Unter den Linden in Berlin. The depiction includes the bronze statue at its center, with the king shown on horseback in full military attire atop an architectural pedestal, surrounded by freestanding statues and relief figures. The monument is enclosed by a low gilded fence before which stand figures in 19th-century dress, men in top hats, and long coats, women in full skirts and bonnets, facing the statue, giving the scene a sense of public engagement and contemporary interest. The depiction is highly detailed and includes recognizable architectural elements such as the facade of the former Royal Library (now the Berlin State Library) in the background, rendered with neoclassical columns, pilasters, and window bays. The reverse of the vase is left undecorated apart from the uninterrupted cobalt blue glaze, which is evenly applied and free from visible flaws or variation. The upright neck features a wide gilt band encircling its entire surface, decorated with an elaborate tooled design of overlapping oak leaves and acorns. This decoration is rendered in matte and burnished gilt, producing tonal contrast within the gold surface itself. A similar gilt band is applied just above the foot, while thin gilt rings mark the junctions between the neck, shoulder, and foot. The depiction on the central reserve commemorates the unveiling of the equestrian monument of Frederick II (Frederick the Great) by sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch. Commissioned in 1839 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III, the statue was cast in bronze beginning in 1845 by Karl Ludwig Friebel at the Lauchhammer foundry. Due to modifications and the complexity of the full sculptural program—comprising 74 figures including 21 life-sized generals, ministers, and statesmen, with four mounted generals at the corners—the monument was not completed until 1851. It was formally inaugurated on 31 May of that year at its site on Unter den Linden, one of Berlin’s principal ceremonial boulevards. Among the most prominent figures included are generals Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preussen, Hans Joachim von Zieten, and Ferdinand von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. The subject was widely disseminated in lithographs, paintings, and porcelain works following its unveiling and represents a pinnacle of mid-19th-century Prussian commemorative sculpture. The high level of detail and fidelity in the painted scene indicates that the decoration was executed by one of KPM’s master painters specializing in architectural and topographical views. The inclusion of contemporary pedestrians in period costume further suggests that the view was meant to record the monument as it stood at the time of completion, rather than a purely idealized representation. The vase’s griffin-head handles are notable for their sculptural modeling and applied gilt finish. Each griffin features detailed feathering, pronounced facial expression, and a scrolling transition into the shoulder. The base is equally robust, composed of a stepped gilt square plinth overlaid with a circular domed foot bearing etched scrollwork and foliage motifs in matte gold. Vases of this form and scale were produced primarily for royal commission or diplomatic presentation and were not sold through commercial channels. The combination of cobalt ground, architectural painting, and extensive gilding is typical of KPM’s most ambitious works during the reign of Friedrich Wilhelm IV and Wilhelm I. The vase likely dates to the years immediately following the 1851 unveiling of the statue and reflects both technical precision and state symbolism. Such pieces were part of a broader initiative to promote Prussian identity through monumental art, porcelain production, and public architecture, and this example encapsulates all three. The mark on the underside confirms the vase's production at KPM and includes the blue sceptre and imperial eagle within a roundel, surrounded by the inscription “Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin.” The mark is applied under the glaze and accompanied by a vertical dash or modeler’s toolmark above it, which is consistent with KPM’s 19th-century production practices. Germany, Circa: 1860 H: 19.25" inches

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