An Incredible Royal Worcester Porcelain Double-Handled Urn with Relief Soldiers

Description

A Royal Worcester Porcelain Double-Handled Urn/Vase/Ice Bucket/Champagne Bucket with Relief Soldier and Military Head Decoration, Hand-Gilt with 24k gold. The urn is formed with an ovoid body supported on a circular spreading foot set upon a square plinth. The rim is encircled by a wide band of alternating gilt and white ornament, edged with a beaded border. The broad twin handles, modeled with twisted rope-like form, extend outward in a loop and are highlighted with applied gilding. The body is decorated in relief with four male heads, each bearded and turned in alternating profiles, arranged between crossed spears and framed with draped animal pelts. Beneath the pelts, gilt masks with leonine features are placed at intervals, each set in high relief against the white ground. Above this register, a gilt grapevine frieze runs around the upper body, with clusters of leaves and fruit emerging between the heads. The details are fully worked in porcelain and enriched with burnished and matte gilding. The foot of the urn is decorated with a gilt gadrooned collar, while the square base is finished with gilt borders and Greek key patterning around the circular foot. The surface of the urn demonstrates the Royal Worcester manufactory’s use of hand-applied gilding, with 24k gold used to emphasize all relief and ornamental details. The decoration is modeled directly in porcelain, with the soldiers’ heads sculpted in full relief and highlighted with gilding along the hair and beard. The crossed spears and animal skins are similarly modeled in raised relief, with their contours defined through applied gilt. The lion masks, centrally placed beneath each handle and side, are executed with sharp precision, their features accentuated with heavy gilding. The inside rim bears a gilt foliate border. This piece corresponds closely to the original model preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, produced circa 1850 during the Barr, Flight & Barr period of Worcester porcelain manufacture. The Houston example shares the same form and decoration, with the double handles, relief heads, grapevine border, and gilt accents all consistent with this design. The museum’s urn is recorded as part of Worcester’s mid-19th century output, reflecting the manufactory’s experimentation with large-scale ornamental porcelain influenced by classical forms. The present urn bears the Royal Worcester mark beneath the base. Its construction demonstrates the manufactory’s technical expertise, as the large porcelain body required careful firing to prevent warping. The elaborate relief modeling and extensive gilding are fully intact, showing strong retention of the original surface. England, Circa: 1850

Details

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