Dresden, Helena Wolfsohn, Hand-painted Dish, C. 1870

This beautiful porcelain candy or trinket dish was produced in Germany in Helena Wolfsohn's Dresden workshop in the 1870s. It is a small hexagonal dish superbly painted and gilded in the Dresden style, with a deep, cobalt-blue, hand-gilded border with a scrollwork decorative motif.

It features a hand-painted central cartouche depicting a hunter returning home in the evening after hunting; in one hand, he proudly holds a captured hare, while in the other, he holds his horse by the reins. The background of the dish is cobalt blue on the inside and white on the outside; the cartouche frame, as well as the top edge, are decorated in gold. Helena Wolfsohn's hand-painted objects are extremely detailed and well designed. The shape and pattern of such a dish were popular at the time and were produced by other factories, such as Royal Vienna Porcelain and others. Helena Wolfsohn's factory did not exist for a long time (1879-1883) and objects from this manufacture are therefore rare.

Helena Wolfsohn succeeded her father, who ran a porcelain business under the name L. Meyer & Söhne. She worked in Dresden from 1843, buying white porcelain mainly from Meissen and decorating it in the style of Johann Gregorius Höroldt's earliest Meissen pieces. It was also inspired by the paintings of Watteau. In 1878, the company was taken over by Helena's daughter, Emilie Elb. The company won several prizes at international exhibitions, including third prize in Melbourne in 1880. The following year, however, problems began. The Meissen manufactory sued them for using the AR (Augustus Rex) trademark. In 1881, the workshop was forced to stop using the trademark in Germany, and in 1883 in England. Compensation for illegal use of the trademark is so high that the workshop runs out of cash.

At the Helena Wolfsohn factory, the porcelain itself was not produced; all the blanks came directly from different factories. The blanks were painted, glazed and fired. Helena Wolfsohn specialized in rococo porcelain painting. For a time, the manufactory used the initials AR in its mark, as one of the first Meissen trademarks, but in 1883, following legal proceedings, the use of these letters was prohibited. The Helena Wolfsohn factory was one of the best followers and preservers of the Meissen porcelain tradition. It is often very difficult to distinguish Meissen porcelain from that of this factory, so high is the quality of the work.

Dimensions :

Length: 15.4 cm

Width: 9.1 cm

Height : 3 cm

Condition: Small brown spot on the side, apparently a firing defect. Otherwise excellent condition.

Please study the accompanying photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of this description. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. Please note that shipping costs include labor, packaging and postage.